Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Walton Beach, FL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Walton Beach, FL: $2,174 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Fort Walton Beach, FL
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Fort Walton Beach, FL Living Index
147

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

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Fort Walton Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,174

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,174 per month in Fort Walton Beach, FL vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fort Walton Beach, FL $2,174
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,364 per month in Fort Walton Beach, FL vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fort Walton Beach, FL $3,364
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,554 per month in Fort Walton Beach, FL vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Fort Walton Beach, FL $4,554
Chicago, IL $5,999

Fort Walton Beach, FL is about 28% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fort Walton Beach, FL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Fort Walton Beach, FL by 60%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.19 $15.19

$20.71 $20.71

-26.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$89.2 $89.2

-11.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 $10.41

$13.19 $13.19

-21.08%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$5.66 $5.66

-5.48%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$2.64 $2.64

2.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.28 $2.28

-9.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$6.87 $6.87

-26.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 $7.06

$8.84 $8.84

-20.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.25 $1.25

-18.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.72 $3.72

-23.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$5.39 $5.39

-62.89%

Eggs

$2.98 $2.98

$4.74 $4.74

-37.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$13.84 $13.84

-18.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$14.40 $14.40

-31.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 $13.98

$18.38 $18.38

-23.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$5.22 $5.22

-33.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.98 $1.98

-20.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$4.06 $4.06

-20.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$4.97 $4.97

-40.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.67 $2.67

-45.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.66 $2.66

-22.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.24 $2.24

-25.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.13 $3.13

-52.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.95 $8.95

$13.82 $13.82

-35.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.64 $8.64

$14.88 $14.88

-41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.54 $2.54

-27.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$3.51 $3.51

-41.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.43 $2.43

-18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.46 $49.46

$73.5 $73.5

-32.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.18 $3.18

86.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.39 $1.39

32.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.95 $44.95

$25.03 $25.03

79.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.20 $1.20

-20.83%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-25.56%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.68%

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

$171 $171

$194 $194

-12.04%

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

$49.01 $49.01

$69.5 $69.5

-29.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 $64.7

$61.6 $61.6

4.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.37 $47.37

$47.90 $47.90

-1.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$13.77 $13.77

$17.81 $17.81

-22.68%

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

$829 $829

$1,794 $1,794

-53.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K $13.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

-56.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.98 $29.98

$67.0 $67.0

-55.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.32 $20.32

$52.1 $52.1

-61.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 $97.7

$102 $102

-3.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$144 $144

-25.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 $1,654

$2,526 $2,526

-34.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 $1,049

$1,578 $1,578

-33.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,872 $2,872

$4,738 $4,738

-39.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 $2,022

$2,693 $2,693

-24.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,673 $4,673

$4,190 $4,190

11.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,677 $4,677

$2,768 $2,768

68.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,346 $3,346

$4,931 $4,931

-32.14%

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 Fort Walton Beach, FL: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$1K 48.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 50.4% $529

Groceries & Markets

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$302 13.9%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 48.1% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$285 13.1%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 14.3% $41

Eating Out

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$275 12.7%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 25.2% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$115 5.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 43% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$75 3.5%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 11.5% $8.6

Getting Around

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$72 3.3%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 28.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,654 in Fort Walton 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 47% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Fort Walton Beach, FL versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $447 – making Fort Walton Beach, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Walton Beach, FL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

03:02 3:02 AM

Same time as Fort Walton Beach, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,507

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Fort Walton Beach, FL Chicago, IL 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Fort Walton 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,174 in Fort Walton Beach, FL, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Fort Walton Beach, FL comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,261 per month in Fort Walton 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 Fort Walton Beach, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,654 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Fort Walton Beach, FL and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Fort Walton Beach, FL, where all-in costs run around $2,174, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Fort Walton Beach, FL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Fort Walton Beach, FL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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