Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hialeah, FL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Hialeah, FL: $2,801 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Hialeah, FL, United States
Chicago, IL, United States
Hialeah, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,801
/mo nomad
Chicago, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$3,037
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,801 per month in Hialeah, FL vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

  • Hialeah, FL $2,801
  • Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,425 per month in Hialeah, FL vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

  • Hialeah, FL $4,425
  • Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $6,049 per month in Hialeah, FL vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

  • Hialeah, FL $6,049
  • Chicago, IL $5,999

Hialeah, FL is about 8% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Hialeah, FL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Hialeah, FL by 106%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hialeah, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$30.22 $30.22
$20.71 $20.71
45.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$94.0 $94.0
$89.2 $89.2
5.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.16 $12.16
$13.19 $13.19
-7.81%
Cappuccino
$5.50 $5.50
$5.66 $5.66
-2.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 $2.54
$2.64 $2.64
-3.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 $1.85
$2.28 $2.28
-18.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.65 $7.65
$6.87 $6.87
11.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.84 $9.84
$8.84 $8.84
11.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hialeah, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.06 $1.06
$1.25 $1.25
-15.20%
White Bread (500g)
$4.57 $4.57
$3.72 $3.72
22.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.19 $3.19
$5.39 $5.39
-40.82%
Eggs
$4.73 $4.73
$4.74 $4.74
-0.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.22 $13.22
$13.84 $13.84
-4.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.44 $14.44
$14.40 $14.40
0.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.63 $21.63
$18.38 $18.38
17.68%
Apples (1kg)
$5.20 $5.20
$5.22 $5.22
-0.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.98 $1.98
-13.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.18 $4.18
$4.06 $4.06
2.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.63 $5.63
$4.97 $4.97
13.28%
Potato (1kg)
$3.35 $3.35
$2.67 $2.67
25.47%
Onion (1kg)
$4.31 $4.31
$2.66 $2.66
62.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.97 $2.97
$2.24 $2.24
32.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.56 $2.56
$3.13 $3.13
-18.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.07 $9.07
$13.82 $13.82
-34.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.29 $15.29
$14.88 $14.88
2.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 $1.78
$2.54 $2.54
-29.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 $3.08
$3.51 $3.51
-12.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Hialeah, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.43 $2.43
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$171 $171
$73.5 $73.5
133.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.98 $2.98
$3.18 $3.18
-6.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.00 $2.00
$1.39 $1.39
43.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.29 $24.29
$25.03 $25.03
-2.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.20 $1.20
-14.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.9K $34.9K
$35.0K $35.0K
-0.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$26.7K $26.7K
-0.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hialeah, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$181 $181
$194 $194
-6.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$64.3 $64.3
$69.5 $69.5
-7.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$76.3 $76.3
$61.6 $61.6
23.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hialeah, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.10 $20.10
$47.90 $47.90
-58.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$27.34 $27.34
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.91 $9.91
$17.81 $17.81
-44.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hialeah, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,479 $1,479
$1,794 $1,794
-17.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.6K $39.6K
$31.9K $31.9K
23.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hialeah, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.5 $51.5
$67.0 $67.0
-23.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.91 $40.91
$52.1 $52.1
-21.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 $101
$102 $102
-0.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 $108
$144 $144
-24.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hialeah, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,730 $1,730
$2,526 $2,526
-31.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,248 $1,248
$1,578 $1,578
-20.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,202 $3,202
$4,738 $4,738
-32.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,531 $2,531
$2,693 $2,693
-6.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,190 $4,190
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,768 $2,768
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hialeah, FL
Chicago, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,252 $3,252
$4,931 $4,931
-34.05%
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 Hialeah, 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
Hialeah, FL
$1.2K
Chicago, IL
$1.6K 26.4% $330
Groceries & Markets
Hialeah, FL
$453
Chicago, IL
$447 1.2% $5.3
Eating Out
Hialeah, FL
$420
Chicago, IL
$345 17.8% $75
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hialeah, FL
$321
Chicago, IL
$326 1.3% $4.1
Getting Around
Hialeah, FL
$184 *
Chicago, IL
$93 49.3% $91
Clothing & Footwear
Hialeah, FL
$135
Chicago, IL
$164 21.1% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Hialeah, FL
$40
Chicago, IL
$84 109% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,730 in Hialeah, 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 52% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94 in Hialeah, FL versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $453 vs $447 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Hialeah, FL
🇺🇸 Chicago, IL
🕒 Local time
20:25 8:25 PM
19:25 7:25 PM
1 h behind Hialeah, FL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
224,669
2,746,388
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hialeah, FL Chicago, IL 1,900 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hialeah, 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
Hialeah, FL vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Hialeah, FL and in Chicago, IL compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,801 in Hialeah, FL, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Hialeah, FL comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.
What salary covers living expenses in Hialeah, FL compared to Chicago, IL?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,202 per month in Hialeah, FL and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Hialeah, FL and Chicago, IL?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Hialeah, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,730 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $94 in Hialeah, FL and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Hialeah, FL and in Chicago, IL?
Public transport costs about 57% less in Chicago, IL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is feasible on a $2,500 budget?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,801 in Hialeah, FL and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Where should families live: Hialeah, FL or Chicago, IL?
Families tend to lean toward Hialeah, FL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Hialeah, FL and Chicago, IL?
If budget matters most, go with Hialeah, 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.

Hialeah, FL vs other spots: cost of living compared

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