Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palm Bay, FL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Palm Bay, FL: $2,347 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Palm Bay, FL
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Palm Bay, FL Living Index
153

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

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Palm Bay, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,347

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,347 per month in Palm Bay, FL vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Palm Bay, FL $2,347
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,526 per month in Palm Bay, FL vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Palm Bay, FL $3,526
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,706 per month in Palm Bay, FL vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Palm Bay, FL $4,706
Chicago, IL $6,077

Palm Bay, FL is about 26% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Palm Bay, FL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Palm Bay, FL by 74%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.58 $25.58

$21.58 $21.58

18.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.9 $74.9

$88.7 $88.7

-15.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 $10.24

$13.20 $13.20

-22.42%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$5.59 $5.59

-3.76%

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

$3.01 $3.01

$2.63 $2.63

14.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.26 $2.26

-11.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 $5.40

$7.11 $7.11

-24.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 $7.61

$9.23 $9.23

-17.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.28 $1.28

-21.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.84 $3.84

1.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$5.07 $5.07

-39.84%

Eggs

$3.58 $3.58

$4.84 $4.84

-26.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.92 $12.92

$14.17 $14.17

-8.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.01 $11.01

$14.61 $14.61

-24.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.51 $14.51

$18.76 $18.76

-22.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$5.19 $5.19

-27.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.00 $2.00

-24.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$4.00 $4.00

8.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$4.98 $4.98

10.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.79 $2.79

5.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.65 $2.65

28.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.13 $2.13

7.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.09 $3.09

-11.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.49 $9.49

$16.05 $16.05

-40.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 $12.85

$15.20 $15.20

-15.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.62 $2.62

-34.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.46 $3.46

-4.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 $10.18

$3.21 $3.21

217.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.39 $1.39

30.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.24 $1.24

-18.55%

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

$36.9K $36.9K

$37.2K $37.2K

-0.78%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

-3.46%

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

$174 $174

$192 $192

-9.50%

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

$59.2 $59.2

$67.8 $67.8

-12.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.9 $77.9

$60.9 $60.9

28.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.76 $33.76

$53.6 $53.6

-36.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 $9.83

$17.80 $17.80

-44.78%

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

$992 $992

$1,554 $1,554

-36.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,059 $7,059

$31.4K $31.4K

-77.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.2 $67.2

$67.9 $67.9

-1.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.42 $27.42

$50.8 $50.8

-45.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$101 $101

6.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$143 $143

-27.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 $1,441

$2,383 $2,383

-39.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 $1,079

$1,712 $1,712

-37.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 $1,911

$4,674 $4,674

-59.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 $1,886

$2,738 $2,738

-31.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,458 $2,458

$4,158 $4,158

-40.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 $2,512

$2,691 $2,691

-6.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,616 $3,616

$4,894 $4,894

-26.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.77

-3.10%

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

Last update for Palm Bay, 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

Palm Bay, FL

$1.1K 46%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 58.7% $633

Groceries & Markets

Palm Bay, FL

$384 16.4%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 17.6% $67

Eating Out

Palm Bay, FL

$362 15.4%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 2.5% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palm Bay, FL

$311 13.3%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 3.2% $9.8

Clothing & Footwear

Palm Bay, FL

$138 5.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 18.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Palm Bay, FL

$53 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 66.9% $36

Getting Around

Palm Bay, FL

$19 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 394% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,441 in Palm Bay, 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 35% 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 $75.0 in Palm Bay, FL versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $451 – making Palm Bay, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Palm Bay, FL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

01:06 1:06 AM

1 h behind Palm Bay, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,760

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Palm Bay, FL Chicago, IL 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Palm Bay, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,347 in Palm Bay, FL, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,520 per month in Palm Bay, 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 Palm Bay, FL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Palm Bay, FL and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,347 in Palm Bay, 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 $2,347 in Palm Bay, FL to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Palm Bay, 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.