Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Vero Beach, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Vero Beach, FL: $2,832 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Vero Beach, FL
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Vero Beach, FL Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Vero Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,832 in Vero Beach, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Vero Beach, FL $2,832

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,893 in Vero Beach, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Vero Beach, FL $3,893

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,953 in Vero Beach, FL, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Vero Beach, FL $4,953

Chicago, IL costs about 12% more than Vero Beach, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Vero Beach, FL sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Vero Beach, FL by 110%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$20.76 $20.76

3.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$60.2 $60.2

47.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$12.23 $12.23

7.93%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.25 $5.25

6.48%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$3.81 $3.81

-30.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.77 $2.77

-18.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$6.12 $6.12

16.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$8.13 $8.13

13.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.14 $1.14

12.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.94 $3.94

-2.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.36 $3.36

50.89%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$3.43 $3.43

41.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$11.91 $11.91

18.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$6.09 $6.09

139.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$17.33 $17.33

8.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.88 $5.88

-11.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.27 $1.27

57.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.98 $3.98

0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.84 $4.84

2.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.55 $3.55

-21.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.52 $2.52

5.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.09 $2.09

1.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.02 $1.02

202.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$5.87 $5.87

173.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$10.06 $10.06

51.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.72 $1.72

52.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.74 $3.74

-7.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.96 $2.96

8.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.93 $1.93

-27.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$35.57 $35.57

-29.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.87 $0.87

42.53%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$37.6K $37.6K

-1.08%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

-2.29%

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

$192 $192

$121 $121

58.76%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$64.2 $64.2

5.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$76.0 $76.0

-19.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$67.3 $67.3

-20.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$10.13 $10.13

75.72%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,575 $1,575

-1.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

46.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$44.45 $44.45

52.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$40.75 $40.75

24.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$80.6 $80.6

25.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$118 $118

21.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,910 $1,910

24.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,659 $1,659

3.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,806 $2,806

66.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,356 $2,356

16.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$3,332 $3,332

24.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$2,869 $2,869

-6.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$3,719 $3,719

31.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.39

5.95%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Vero Beach, FL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Vero Beach, FL

$1.7K 58.6% 3.1% $53

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Vero Beach, FL

$346 12.2% 23.4% $105

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Vero Beach, FL

$339 12% 4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Vero Beach, FL

$261 9.2% 18.6% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Vero Beach, FL

$128 4.5% 21.9% $36

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Vero Beach, FL

$13 * 0.4% 86.8% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Vero Beach, FL

$88 3.1% 1.9% $1.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,910 in Vero Beach, 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 32% 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $60.0 in Vero Beach, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $346 – making Vero Beach, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Vero Beach, FL

🕒 Local time

13:19 1:19 PM

14:19 2:19 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

15,220

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Vero Beach, FL 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Vero Beach, 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 Vero Beach, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $2,832 in Vero Beach, FL – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,249 in Vero Beach, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vero Beach, FL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $60.0 in Vero Beach, FL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $2,832 in Vero Beach, FL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,832 in Vero Beach, FL to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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