Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Jacksonville, FL: $2,487 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Jacksonville, FL
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Jacksonville, FL Living Index
147

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

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Jacksonville, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,487

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,487 per month in Jacksonville, FL vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Jacksonville, FL $2,487
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,787 per month in Jacksonville, FL vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Jacksonville, FL $3,787
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,087 per month in Jacksonville, FL vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Jacksonville, FL $5,087
Chicago, IL $5,999

Jacksonville, FL is about 18% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jacksonville, FL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Jacksonville, FL by 83%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$20.71 $20.71

-4.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$89.2 $89.2

14.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.37 $11.37

$13.19 $13.19

-13.80%

Cappuccino

$5.58 $5.58

$5.66 $5.66

-1.41%

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

$3.11 $3.11

$2.64 $2.64

17.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.28 $2.28

-4.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 $4.98

$6.87 $6.87

-27.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$8.84 $8.84

-18.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.25 $1.25

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.72 $3.72

-9.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$5.39 $5.39

-30.80%

Eggs

$4.40 $4.40

$4.74 $4.74

-7.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$13.84 $13.84

-0.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.57 $9.57

$14.40 $14.40

-33.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.24 $16.24

$18.38 $18.38

-11.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$5.22 $5.22

-7.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.98 $1.98

-28.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$4.06 $4.06

-2.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$4.97 $4.97

-8.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.67 $2.67

9.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.66 $2.66

15.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.24 $2.24

19.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.13 $3.13

-20.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.34 $9.34

$13.82 $13.82

-32.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.63 $14.63

$14.88 $14.88

-1.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.54 $2.54

-19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.51 $3.51

-8.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.43 $2.43

-27.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$73.5 $73.5

-12.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.18 $3.18

-52.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.39 $1.39

-15.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.75 $13.75

$25.03 $25.03

-45.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.20 $1.20

-13.33%

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

$31.3K $31.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-10.60%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.19%

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

$218 $218

$194 $194

12.07%

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

$64.4 $64.4

$69.5 $69.5

-7.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.2 $68.2

$61.6 $61.6

10.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.02 $35.02

$47.90 $47.90

-26.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.49 $6.49

$27.34 $27.34

-76.26%

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 $14.76

$17.81 $17.81

-17.13%

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

$1,318 $1,318

$1,794 $1,794

-26.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$31.9K $31.9K

-62.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 $64.1

$67.0 $67.0

-4.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.85 $47.85

$52.1 $52.1

-8.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$102 $102

10.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 $151

$144 $144

5.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 $1,651

$2,526 $2,526

-34.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 $1,118

$1,578 $1,578

-29.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,590 $2,590

$4,738 $4,738

-45.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$2,693 $2,693

-27.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,356 $2,356

$4,190 $4,190

-43.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,066 $2,066

$2,768 $2,768

-25.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,010 $4,010

$4,931 $4,931

-18.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.81

-1.76%

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

Last update for Jacksonville, 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

Jacksonville, FL

$1.1K 45%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 41.1% $460

Groceries & Markets

Jacksonville, FL

$386 15.5%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 15.8% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jacksonville, FL

$350 14.1%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 7.1% $25

Eating Out

Jacksonville, FL

$319 12.8%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 8.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Jacksonville, FL

$169 6.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 2.9% $4.8

Getting Around

Jacksonville, FL

$79 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 18.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Jacksonville, FL

$65 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 29.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,651 in Jacksonville, 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 23% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Jacksonville, FL versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $386 in Jacksonville, FL vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Jacksonville, FL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jacksonville, FL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

18:43 6:43 PM

17:43 5:43 PM

1 h behind Jacksonville, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

949,611

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

Jacksonville, FL Chicago, IL 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Jacksonville, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,487 in Jacksonville, FL, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Jacksonville, FL comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,730 per month in Jacksonville, 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 Jacksonville, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,651 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Jacksonville, FL and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,487 in Jacksonville, FL and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Jacksonville, 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 Jacksonville, 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.