Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Palm Coast, FL: $2,523 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Palm Coast, FL
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Palm Coast, FL Living Index
147

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

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Palm Coast, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,523

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,523 per month in Palm Coast, FL vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Palm Coast, FL $2,523
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,512 per month in Palm Coast, FL vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Palm Coast, FL $3,512
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,501 per month in Palm Coast, FL vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Palm Coast, FL $4,501
Chicago, IL $5,999

Palm Coast, FL is about 17% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Palm Coast, FL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Palm Coast, FL by 85%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.07 $17.07

$20.71 $20.71

-17.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 $81.3

$89.2 $89.2

-8.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.16 $9.16

$13.19 $13.19

-30.55%

Cappuccino

$4.98 $4.98

$5.66 $5.66

-12.01%

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

$2.10 $2.10

$2.64 $2.64

-20.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.28 $2.28

-21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 $6.61

$6.87 $6.87

-3.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.64 $7.64

$8.84 $8.84

-13.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.25 $1.25

-19.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.72 $3.72

-0.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$5.39 $5.39

-37.11%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$4.74 $4.74

-15.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 $11.91

$13.84 $13.84

-13.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.51 $11.51

$14.40 $14.40

-20.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.52 $14.52

$18.38 $18.38

-21.00%

Apples (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$5.22 $5.22

23.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.98 $1.98

-25.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$4.06 $4.06

38.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$4.97 $4.97

4.02%

Potato (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.67 $2.67

65.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.66 $2.66

37.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.24 $2.24

-11.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$3.13 $3.13

-19.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.86 $8.86

$13.82 $13.82

-35.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 $9.81

$14.88 $14.88

-34.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.54 $2.54

-33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.51 $3.51

-34.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.18 $3.18

7.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.39 $1.39

7.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.9 $60.9

$25.03 $25.03

143.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.20 $1.20

-26.67%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.32%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.35%

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

$236 $236

$194 $194

21.36%

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

$46.71 $46.71

$69.5 $69.5

-32.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.42 $39.42

$61.6 $61.6

-36.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.42 $27.42

$47.90 $47.90

-42.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$15.44 $15.44

$17.81 $17.81

-13.31%

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

$957 $957

$1,794 $1,794

-46.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

-22.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 $58.6

$67.0 $67.0

-12.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.67 $39.67

$52.1 $52.1

-23.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 $73.9

$102 $102

-27.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$144 $144

-23.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 $1,542

$2,526 $2,526

-38.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 $1,323

$1,578 $1,578

-16.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 $1,961

$4,738 $4,738

-58.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,810 $1,810

$2,693 $2,693

-32.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,848 $3,848

$4,931 $4,931

-21.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.81

-3.52%

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

Last update for Palm Coast, 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

Palm Coast, FL

$1.3K 52.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 19.3% $255

Groceries & Markets

Palm Coast, FL

$394 15.6%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 13.4% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palm Coast, FL

$322 12.8%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 1.1% $3.4

Eating Out

Palm Coast, FL

$288 11.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 19.9% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Palm Coast, FL

$127 5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 29.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Palm Coast, FL

$58 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 43.2% $25

Getting Around

Palm Coast, FL

$11 * 0.4%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 758% $82

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,542 in Palm Coast, 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 28% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Palm Coast, FL versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $394 vs $447 – making Palm Coast, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Palm Coast, FL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

21:16 9:16 PM

1 h behind Palm Coast, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,013

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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Highest

Between locations

Palm Coast, FL Chicago, IL 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,523 in Palm Coast, FL, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Palm Coast, FL comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,784 per month in Palm Coast, 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 Palm Coast, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,542 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Palm Coast, FL and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,523 in Palm Coast, 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 Palm Coast, 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 Palm Coast, 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.