Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and The Villages, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in The Villages, FL: $2,238 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in The Villages, FL
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The Villages, FL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

The Villages, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,238

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in The Villages, 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 The Villages, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,238 in The Villages, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
The Villages, FL $2,238

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,544 in The Villages, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
The Villages, FL $3,544

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,850 in The Villages, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
The Villages, FL $4,850

Chicago, IL costs about 36% more than The Villages, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and The Villages, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, The Villages, FL by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$12.13 $12.13

70.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$74.3 $74.3

20.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$8.34 $8.34

58.15%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.39 $4.39

28.93%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.44 $2.44

8.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.44 $2.44

-6.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.14 $5.14

33.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.08 $7.08

24.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.06 $1.06

17.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.61 $3.61

3.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.27 $4.27

26.23%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.23 $4.23

12.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.51 $12.51

10.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.78 $11.78

22.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.45 $15.45

18.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.14 $5.14

1.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.29 $1.29

53.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.18 $4.18

-2.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.83 $4.83

2.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.60 $2.60

2.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.99 $2.99

-11.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.21 $2.21

1.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.14 $2.14

46.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.10 $9.10

51.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.85 $14.85

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.12 $2.12

19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.75 $3.75

-6.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.17 $2.17

11.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$52.4 $52.4

40.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.97 $2.97

7.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.70 $1.70

-18.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$31.65 $31.65

-20.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.87 $0.87

37.93%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.8K $28.8K

21.71%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$22.7K $22.7K

17.55%

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

$194 $194

$203 $203

-4.45%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$58.7 $58.7

18.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$70.8 $70.8

-12.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$39.73 $39.73

20.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.15 $14.15

25.87%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,374 $1,374

30.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$20.0K $20.0K

59.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$52.6 $52.6

27.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$41.28 $41.28

26.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$101 $101

0.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$113 $113

27.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,440 $1,440

75.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$998 $998

58.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,710 $2,710

74.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,130 $2,130

26.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,877 $2,877

45.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,383 $2,383

16.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$6,437 $6,437

-23.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.47

5.26%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for The Villages, FL: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

The Villages, FL

$998 44.6% 36.8% $580

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

The Villages, FL

$394 17.6% 12% $53

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

The Villages, FL

$234 10.5% 32.1% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

The Villages, FL

$333 14.9% 2.3% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

The Villages, FL

$138 6.2% 15.6% $26

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

The Villages, FL

$72 3.2% 22.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

The Villages, FL

$68 3% 18.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,440 in The Villages, 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 31% higher in The Villages, FL, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $74 in The Villages, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $394 – making The Villages, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 The Villages, FL

🕒 Local time

10:02 10:02 AM

11:02 11:02 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

79,077

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL The Villages, FL 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
The Villages, 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 The Villages, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,238 in The Villages, FL – The Villages, FL comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,356 in The Villages, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in The Villages, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,440 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $74 in The Villages, FL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in The Villages, FL, where all-in costs run around $2,238, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In The Villages, FL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, The Villages, FL is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 26% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.