Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,584 in Delray Beach, FL, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Delray Beach, FL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

171

Cost of Living Index in Delray Beach, FL
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Delray Beach, FL Living Index
147

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

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Delray Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,584

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,584 per month in Delray Beach, FL vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Delray Beach, FL $3,584
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $5,795 per month in Delray Beach, FL vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Delray Beach, FL $5,795
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $8,007 per month in Delray Beach, FL vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Delray Beach, FL $8,007
Chicago, IL $5,999

Delray Beach, FL costs about 18% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Delray Beach, FL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Delray Beach, FL by 163%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.11 $30.11

$20.71 $20.71

45.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$89.2 $89.2

31.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.19 $13.19

12.81%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$5.66 $5.66

1.94%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$2.64 $2.64

15.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.28 $2.28

-10.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$6.87 $6.87

13.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.90 $9.90

$8.84 $8.84

11.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.25 $1.25

12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.72 $3.72

19.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$5.39 $5.39

-38.22%

Eggs

$4.98 $4.98

$4.74 $4.74

5.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$13.84 $13.84

-5.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 $12.21

$14.40 $14.40

-15.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.86 $18.86

$18.38 $18.38

2.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$5.22 $5.22

-2.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.98 $1.98

-10.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$4.06 $4.06

-23.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$4.97 $4.97

-13.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.67 $2.67

17.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.66 $2.66

25.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.24 $2.24

26.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.13 $3.13

-29.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.13 $9.13

$13.82 $13.82

-33.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$14.88 $14.88

2.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.54 $2.54

-22.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.51 $3.51

-13.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.43 $2.43

-16.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.18 $3.18

-9.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.39 $1.39

46.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.44 $24.44

$25.03 $25.03

-2.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.20 $1.20

-14.17%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

1.64%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.73%

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

$182 $182

$194 $194

-6.54%

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

$66.2 $66.2

$69.5 $69.5

-4.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.8 $73.8

$61.6 $61.6

19.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 $51.5

$47.90 $47.90

7.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.06 $19.06

$27.34 $27.34

-30.29%

Cinema Ticket

$19.63 $19.63

$17.81 $17.81

10.22%

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

$1,483 $1,483

$1,794 $1,794

-17.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.7K $35.7K

$31.9K $31.9K

11.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$67.0 $67.0

-24.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.1 $58.1

$52.1 $52.1

11.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$102 $102

5.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$144 $144

-11.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,113 $2,113

$2,526 $2,526

-16.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 $2,143

$1,578 $1,578

35.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,561 $5,561

$4,738 $4,738

17.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,589 $4,589

$2,693 $2,693

70.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,094 $4,094

$4,190 $4,190

-2.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,360 $3,360

$2,768 $2,768

21.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,983 $3,983

$4,931 $4,931

-19.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.81

-3.67%

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

Last update for Delray Beach, FL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Delray Beach, FL

$2.1K 59.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 26.4% $565

Eating Out

Delray Beach, FL

$434 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 20.5% $89

Groceries & Markets

Delray Beach, FL

$419 11.7%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 6.8% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Delray Beach, FL

$322 9%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 1.2% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Delray Beach, FL

$154 4.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 6.4% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Delray Beach, FL

$91 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 8% $7.2

Getting Around

Delray Beach, FL

$21 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 341% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,113 in Delray Beach, FL versus $2,526 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 24% higher in Chicago, IL, 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 $118 in Delray Beach, FL versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $419 in Delray Beach, FL vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Delray Beach, FL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Delray Beach, FL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

10:58 10:58 AM

09:58 9:58 AM

1 h behind Delray Beach, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,522

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Delray Beach, FL Chicago, IL 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Delray 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,584 in Delray Beach, FL, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,376 per month in Delray Beach, FL and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Delray Beach, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,113 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Delray Beach, FL and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Delray Beach, FL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,584 in Delray Beach, FL and $3,037 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,584 in Delray Beach, FL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.