Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Tarpon Springs, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Tarpon Springs, FL: $2,409 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Tarpon Springs, FL
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Tarpon Springs, FL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Tarpon Springs, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Tarpon Springs, FL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in Tarpon Springs, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,409 in Tarpon Springs, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Tarpon Springs, FL $2,409

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,549 in Tarpon Springs, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Tarpon Springs, FL $3,549

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,688 in Tarpon Springs, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Tarpon Springs, FL $4,688

Chicago, IL costs about 26% more than Tarpon Springs, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Tarpon Springs, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Tarpon Springs, FL by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.24 $20.24

2.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$60.6 $60.6

47.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.03 $11.03

19.58%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.39 $4.39

28.93%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.11 $2.11

25.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.49 $1.49

53.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.03 $4.03

70.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.94 $5.94

48.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.98 $0.98

27.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.04 $3.04

22.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.40 $3.40

58.53%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.94 $3.94

20.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.49 $11.49

20.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.63 $12.63

14.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.99 $18.99

-3.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.65 $4.65

12.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.60 $1.60

23.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.88 $2.88

40.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.28 $3.28

51.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.73 $2.73

-2.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.25 $3.25

-18.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.31 $2.31

-3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.66 $1.66

88.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.37 $9.37

47.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.79 $12.79

16.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.75 $1.75

45.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$5.13 $5.13

-31.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$5.05 $5.05

-37.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.80 $0.80

73.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$29.71 $29.71

-15.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.82 $0.82

46.34%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.0K $35.0K

$25.0K $25.0K

40.29%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.28%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$194 $194

$153 $153

26.67%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$37.97 $37.97

82.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$66.7 $66.7

-7.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$19.67 $19.67

143.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.29 $15.29

16.48%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,794 $1,794

$650 $650

175.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$17.8K $17.8K

79.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$19.85 $19.85

237.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$30.32 $30.32

71.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$75.2 $75.2

34.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$112 $112

28.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,372 $1,372

84.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,318 $1,318

19.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,531 $2,531

87.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,266 $2,266

18.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,122 $4,122

19.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.6

3.18%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tarpon Springs, FL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Tarpon Springs, FL

$1.3K 54.7% 16.5% $260

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Tarpon Springs, FL

$373 15.5% 16.6% $74

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Tarpon Springs, FL

$294 12.2% 14.7% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Tarpon Springs, FL

$258 10.7% 20.7% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Tarpon Springs, FL

$107 4.4% 34.9% $57

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Tarpon Springs, FL

$9 * 0.4% 90.3% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Tarpon Springs, FL

$50 2.1% 39.8% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,372 in Tarpon Springs, FL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $61 in Tarpon Springs, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $373 – making Tarpon Springs, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Tarpon Springs, FL

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

16:50 4:50 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

25,117

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Tarpon Springs, FL 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Tarpon Springs, FL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chicago, IL vs Tarpon Springs, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,409 in Tarpon Springs, FL – Tarpon Springs, FL comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,614 in Tarpon Springs, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tarpon Springs, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,372 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $61 in Tarpon Springs, FL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Tarpon Springs, FL, where all-in costs run around $2,409, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Tarpon Springs, FL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tarpon Springs, FL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Tarpon Springs, FL. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.