Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Marathon, FL: $2,807 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

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

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

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Marathon, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,807

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,807 per month in Marathon, FL vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Marathon, FL $2,807
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,160 per month in Marathon, FL vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Marathon, FL $4,160
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,514 per month in Marathon, FL vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Marathon, FL $5,514
Chicago, IL $5,999

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.44 $29.44

$20.71 $20.71

42.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 $93.9

$89.2 $89.2

5.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 $11.92

$13.19 $13.19

-9.63%

Cappuccino

$5.31 $5.31

$5.66 $5.66

-6.18%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$2.64 $2.64

-6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.28 $2.28

-18.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.72 $7.72

$6.87 $6.87

12.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.90 $9.90

$8.84 $8.84

11.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.25 $1.25

-15.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.72 $3.72

-15.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$5.39 $5.39

-39.70%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$4.74 $4.74

-0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.45 $13.45

$13.84 $13.84

-2.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.51 $12.51

$14.40 $14.40

-13.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$18.38 $18.38

3.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$5.22 $5.22

-9.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.98 $1.98

-13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$4.06 $4.06

-27.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$4.97 $4.97

11.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.67 $2.67

14.61%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.66 $2.66

53.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.24 $2.24

23.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.13 $3.13

-18.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 $9.52

$13.82 $13.82

-31.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 $12.74

$14.88 $14.88

-14.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.54 $2.54

-33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.51 $3.51

-5.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.43 $2.43

-18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 $65.3

$73.5 $73.5

-11.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 $3.19

$3.18 $3.18

0.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.39 $1.39

23.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.80 $29.80

$25.03 $25.03

19.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.20 $1.20

-13.33%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.25%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.58%

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

$223 $223

$194 $194

14.91%

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

$72.3 $72.3

$69.5 $69.5

4.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.2 $75.2

$61.6 $61.6

21.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.30 $42.30

$47.90 $47.90

-11.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$9.88 $9.88

$17.81 $17.81

-44.53%

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

$1,491 $1,491

$1,794 $1,794

-16.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

-25.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.2 $67.2

$67.0 $67.0

0.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.34 $42.34

$52.1 $52.1

-18.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$102 $102

6.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$144 $144

-21.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 $1,600

$2,526 $2,526

-36.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 $1,323

$1,578 $1,578

-16.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 $2,537

$4,738 $4,738

-46.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,186 $2,186

$2,693 $2,693

-18.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,718 $2,718

$4,190 $4,190

-35.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,335 $2,335

$2,768 $2,768

-15.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

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 Marathon, 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

Marathon, FL

$1.3K 47.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 19.3% $255

Eating Out

Marathon, FL

$411 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 16% $66

Groceries & Markets

Marathon, FL

$407 14.5%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 9.9% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marathon, FL

$371 13.2%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 12.2% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Marathon, FL

$148 5.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 10.5% $16

Getting Around

Marathon, FL

$85 3%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 9.9% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Marathon, FL

$62 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 34.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,600 in Marathon, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94 in Marathon, FL versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $407 in Marathon, FL vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Marathon, FL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Marathon, FL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

04:26 4:26 AM

1 h behind Marathon, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,500

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Marathon, FL Chicago, IL 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Marathon, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,807 in Marathon, FL, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,210 per month in Marathon, 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 Marathon, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,600 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 10% 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 $94 in Marathon, FL and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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