Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Myers, FL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Fort Myers, FL and in Chicago, IL: $3,034 and $3,185 a month, rent and utilities included.

147

Cost of Living Index in Fort Myers, FL
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Fort Myers, FL Living Index
153

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

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Fort Myers, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,034

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,034 per month in Fort Myers, FL vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fort Myers, FL $3,034
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,394 per month in Fort Myers, FL vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fort Myers, FL $4,394
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,753 per month in Fort Myers, FL vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fort Myers, FL $5,753
Chicago, IL $6,077

Fort Myers, FL is about 5% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Fort Myers, FL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Fort Myers, FL by 125%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.92 $24.92

$21.58 $21.58

15.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$88.7 $88.7

-11.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 $12.46

$13.20 $13.20

-5.61%

Cappuccino

$4.49 $4.49

$5.59 $5.59

-19.68%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$2.63 $2.63

3.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.26 $2.26

-13.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$7.11 $7.11

-31.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 $6.07

$9.23 $9.23

-34.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.28 $1.28

-19.53%

White Bread (500g)

$4.60 $4.60

$3.84 $3.84

19.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.07 $5.07

-1.97%

Eggs

$4.05 $4.05

$4.84 $4.84

-16.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.48 $9.48

$14.17 $14.17

-33.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 $10.57

$14.61 $14.61

-27.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.79 $19.79

$18.76 $18.76

5.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$5.19 $5.19

18.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.00 $2.00

-26.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$4.00 $4.00

6.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$4.98 $4.98

9.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.79 $2.79

-1.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.65 $2.65

43.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.13 $2.13

29.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$3.09 $3.09

-42.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 $9.02

$16.05 $16.05

-43.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.77 $16.77

$15.20 $15.20

10.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.62 $2.62

-1.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.46 $3.46

-36.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.47 $2.47

-18.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.37 $39.37

$75.1 $75.1

-47.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.21 $3.21

23.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.39 $1.39

35.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.65 $23.65

$25.02 $25.02

-5.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.24 $1.24

-16.94%

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

$33.6K $33.6K

$37.2K $37.2K

-9.51%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

0.16%

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

$192 $192

0.09%

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

$64.0 $64.0

$67.8 $67.8

-5.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 $80.9

$60.9 $60.9

32.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.57 $45.57

$53.6 $53.6

-14.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.95 $19.95

$27.90 $27.90

-28.49%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 $17.91

$17.80 $17.80

0.62%

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

$1,915 $1,915

$1,554 $1,554

23.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.2K $41.2K

$31.4K $31.4K

31.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.85 $46.85

$67.9 $67.9

-30.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 $41.22

$50.8 $50.8

-18.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 $87.6

$101 $101

-13.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.3 $98.3

$143 $143

-31.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 $1,791

$2,383 $2,383

-24.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,670 $1,670

$1,712 $1,712

-2.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,952 $2,952

$4,674 $4,674

-36.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,714 $2,714

$2,738 $2,738

-0.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,673 $2,673

$4,158 $4,158

-35.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,691 $2,691

0.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,747 $3,747

$4,894 $4,894

-23.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.77

-2.07%

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

Last update for Fort Myers, FL: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Myers, FL

$1.7K 55%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 2.5% $42

Groceries & Markets

Fort Myers, FL

$416 13.7%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 8.5% $35

Eating Out

Fort Myers, FL

$346 11.4%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 2.1% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Myers, FL

$337 11.1%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 4.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Myers, FL

$123 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 32.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Myers, FL

$81 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 9.6% $7.8

Getting Around

Fort Myers, FL

$61 2%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 56.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,791 in Fort Myers, 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 31% 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 Fort Myers, FL versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $451 – making Fort Myers, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Myers, FL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

10:52 10:52 AM

1 h behind Fort Myers, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,190

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

Fort Myers, FL Chicago, IL 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Myers, 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

Fort Myers, FL vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,034 in Fort Myers, FL, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,551 per month in Fort Myers, 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 Fort Myers, FL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% 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 Fort Myers, FL and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,034 in Fort Myers, 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 $3,034 in Fort Myers, FL to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Fort Myers, 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.