Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Defuniak Springs, FL: $2,463 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Defuniak Springs, FL
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Defuniak Springs, FL Living Index
152

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

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Defuniak Springs, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,463

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,463 per month in Defuniak Springs, FL vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Defuniak Springs, FL $2,463
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,628 per month in Defuniak Springs, FL vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Defuniak Springs, FL $3,628
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,793 per month in Defuniak Springs, FL vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Defuniak Springs, FL $4,793
Chicago, IL $6,115

Defuniak Springs, FL is about 22% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Defuniak Springs, FL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Defuniak Springs, FL by 82%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.04 $26.04

$20.65 $20.65

26.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$90.2 $90.2

-10.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 $11.83

$12.94 $12.94

-8.58%

Cappuccino

$5.27 $5.27

$5.60 $5.60

-5.89%

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

$2.64 $2.64

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.27 $2.27

-11.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.98 $6.98

-28.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$8.83 $8.83

-21.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.27 $1.27

-23.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 $3.74

$3.80 $3.80

-1.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$5.30 $5.30

-61.70%

Eggs

$2.90 $2.90

$4.76 $4.76

-39.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 $11.58

$13.96 $13.96

-17.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.19 $10.19

$14.61 $14.61

-30.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.01 $14.01

$18.77 $18.77

-25.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.19 $5.19

-20.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.98 $1.98

-22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.93 $3.93

8.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$4.96 $4.96

-57.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.76 $2.76

-31.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.76 $2.76

-32.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.22 $2.22

-24.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.98 $2.98

-28.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 $7.34

$14.02 $14.02

-47.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 $10.89

$15.28 $15.28

-28.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.58 $2.58

-26.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.50 $3.50

-44.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.47 $2.47

-11.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.34 $3.34

-26.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.43 $1.43

6.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.24 $28.24

$24.32 $24.32

16.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.26 $1.26

-18.25%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-16.07%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

1.86%

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

$149 $149

$193 $193

-22.63%

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

$49.37 $49.37

$68.3 $68.3

-27.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 $65.2

$61.3 $61.3

6.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.55 $41.55

$54.1 $54.1

-23.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$7.18 $7.18

$17.74 $17.74

-59.53%

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

$997 $997

$1,652 $1,652

-39.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K $13.9K

$31.1K $31.1K

-55.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.76 $23.76

$66.1 $66.1

-64.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.66 $16.66

$51.2 $51.2

-67.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 $97.9

$100 $100

-2.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$141 $141

-24.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$2,446 $2,446

-34.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 $1,322

$1,678 $1,678

-21.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 $2,547

$4,717 $4,717

-46.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,173 $2,173

$2,795 $2,795

-22.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,709 $2,709

$4,105 $4,105

-34.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,348 $2,348

$2,650 $2,650

-11.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,090 $3,090

$4,866 $4,866

-36.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

6.81

-5.73%

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

Last update for Defuniak Springs, FL: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Defuniak Springs, FL

$1.3K 53.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 26.9% $356

Eating Out

Defuniak Springs, FL

$364 14.8%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 5.7% $21

Groceries & Markets

Defuniak Springs, FL

$329 13.4%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 36.6% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Defuniak Springs, FL

$264 10.7%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 22.2% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Defuniak Springs, FL

$110 4.5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 46.5% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Defuniak Springs, FL

$56 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 60.3% $34

Getting Around

Defuniak Springs, FL

$19 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 405% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,612 in Defuniak Springs, FL versus $2,446 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 57% 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 $81.0 in Defuniak Springs, FL versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $329 vs $449 – making Defuniak Springs, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Defuniak Springs, FL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

Same time as Defuniak Springs, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,500

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Defuniak Springs, FL Chicago, IL 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Defuniak Springs, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,463 in Defuniak Springs, FL, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,695 per month in Defuniak Springs, FL and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Defuniak Springs, 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 $81.0 in Defuniak Springs, FL and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% 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.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,463 in Defuniak Springs, FL and $3,139 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 $2,463 in Defuniak Springs, FL to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Defuniak Springs, 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.