Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Daytona Beach, FL: $2,622 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Daytona Beach, FL
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Daytona Beach, FL Living Index
153

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

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Daytona Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,622

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Daytona Beach, FL and in Chicago, IL

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

A single person spends $2,622 per month in Daytona Beach, FL vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Daytona Beach, FL $2,622
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,836 per month in Daytona Beach, FL vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Daytona Beach, FL $3,836
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,049 per month in Daytona Beach, FL vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Daytona Beach, FL $5,049
Chicago, IL $6,077

Daytona Beach, FL is about 18% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Daytona Beach, FL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Daytona Beach, FL by 94%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.42 $21.42

$21.58 $21.58

-0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 $78.5

$88.7 $88.7

-11.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 $12.16

$13.20 $13.20

-7.88%

Cappuccino

$7.35 $7.35

$5.59 $5.59

31.48%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$2.63 $2.63

19.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.26 $2.26

9.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 $6.89

$7.11 $7.11

-3.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.35 $6.35

$9.23 $9.23

-31.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.28 $1.28

-20.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.84 $3.84

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$5.07 $5.07

-50.89%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.84 $4.84

-2.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 $7.32

$14.17 $14.17

-48.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.29 $12.29

$14.61 $14.61

-15.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.88 $12.88

$18.76 $18.76

-31.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.72 $5.72

$5.19 $5.19

10.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.00 $2.00

-33.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$4.00 $4.00

-0.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$4.98 $4.98

-39.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.79 $2.79

-8.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.65 $2.65

-9.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.13 $2.13

-35.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.09 $3.09

-42.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.37 $8.37

$16.05 $16.05

-47.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 $11.18

$15.20 $15.20

-26.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.62 $2.62

-20.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.46 $3.46

-22.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.47 $2.47

-39.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.36 $34.36

$75.1 $75.1

-54.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.89 $24.89

$25.02 $25.02

-0.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.24 $1.24

-20.16%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$37.2K $37.2K

-33.24%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$25.8K $25.8K

4.41%

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

$139 $139

$192 $192

-27.72%

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

$64.9 $64.9

$67.8 $67.8

-4.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.0 $78.0

$60.9 $60.9

28.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.67 $28.67

$53.6 $53.6

-46.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.66 $24.66

$27.90 $27.90

-11.61%

Cinema Ticket

$13.65 $13.65

$17.80 $17.80

-23.31%

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

$629 $629

$1,554 $1,554

-59.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 $53.1

$67.9 $67.9

-21.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$50.8 $50.8

0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 $84.7

$101 $101

-16.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$143 $143

-21.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,545 $1,545

$2,383 $2,383

-35.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,408 $1,408

$1,712 $1,712

-17.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,395 $2,395

$4,674 $4,674

-48.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,275 $2,275

$2,738 $2,738

-16.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,520 $2,520

$4,158 $4,158

-39.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,657 $2,657

$2,691 $2,691

-1.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,260 $3,260

$4,894 $4,894

-33.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.77

-1.33%

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

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Daytona Beach, FL

$1.4K 53.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 21.6% $304

Eating Out

Daytona Beach, FL

$366 14%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 3.5% $13

Groceries & Markets

Daytona Beach, FL

$335 12.8%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 34.7% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daytona Beach, FL

$282 10.8%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 13.9% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Daytona Beach, FL

$135 5.2%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 20.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Daytona Beach, FL

$56 2.1%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 59.3% $33

Getting Around

Daytona Beach, FL

$40 * 1.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 136% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,545 in Daytona Beach, FL versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. 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 50% 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 $79.0 in Daytona Beach, FL versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $451 – making Daytona Beach, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Daytona Beach, FL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:13 4:13 AM

03:13 3:13 AM

1 h behind Daytona Beach, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,183

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Daytona Beach, FL Chicago, IL 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Daytona Beach, FL
Chicago, IL

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,622 in Daytona Beach, FL, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,933 per month in Daytona Beach, FL and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 35% 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Daytona Beach, FL and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,622 in Daytona Beach, FL and $3,185 in Chicago, IL. 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 $2,622 in Daytona Beach, FL to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Daytona 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.