Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port St Lucie, FL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Port St Lucie, FL: $2,870 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Chicago, IL despite lower rent and utilities.

139

Cost of Living Index in Port St Lucie, FL
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Port St Lucie, FL Living Index
147

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

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Port St Lucie, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,870

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,870 per month in Port St Lucie, FL vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Port St Lucie, FL $2,870
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,018 per month in Port St Lucie, FL vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Port St Lucie, FL $4,018
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,166 per month in Port St Lucie, FL vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Port St Lucie, FL $5,166
Chicago, IL $5,999

Port St Lucie, FL is about 6% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Port St Lucie, FL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Port St Lucie, FL by 111%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.36 $21.36

$20.71 $20.71

3.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$89.2 $89.2

-11.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.34 $11.34

$13.19 $13.19

-14.03%

Cappuccino

$4.28 $4.28

$5.66 $5.66

-24.38%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$2.64 $2.64

15.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.28 $2.28

0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 $6.03

$6.87 $6.87

-12.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$8.84 $8.84

-10.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.25 $1.25

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.72 $3.72

4.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$5.39 $5.39

-18.18%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$4.74 $4.74

-29.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 $12.24

$13.84 $13.84

-11.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.72 $10.72

$14.40 $14.40

-25.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$18.38 $18.38

-9.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.22 $5.22

-20.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.98 $1.98

-10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$4.06 $4.06

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$4.97 $4.97

-46.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.67 $2.67

-26.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.66 $2.66

-8.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.24 $2.24

10.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.13 $3.13

-24.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.11 $9.11

$13.82 $13.82

-34.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$14.88 $14.88

-0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.54 $2.54

-33.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.51 $3.51

2.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.81 $45.81

$73.5 $73.5

-37.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.18 $3.18

-7.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.39 $1.39

38.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.35 $30.35

$25.03 $25.03

21.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.20 $1.20

-23.33%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

4.04%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.19%

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

$202 $202

$194 $194

3.81%

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

$64.4 $64.4

$69.5 $69.5

-7.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.5 $77.5

$61.6 $61.6

25.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.87 $38.87

$47.90 $47.90

-18.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 $20.08

$27.34 $27.34

-26.55%

Cinema Ticket

$16.28 $16.28

$17.81 $17.81

-8.59%

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

$1,636 $1,636

$1,794 $1,794

-8.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$31.9K $31.9K

-33.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$67.0 $67.0

-20.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.64 $38.64

$52.1 $52.1

-25.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 $93.5

$102 $102

-7.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 $84.9

$144 $144

-40.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 $1,824

$2,526 $2,526

-27.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 $1,583

$1,578 $1,578

0.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,765 $2,765

$4,738 $4,738

-41.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,322 $2,322

$2,693 $2,693

-13.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,898 $2,898

$4,190 $4,190

-30.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,378 $2,378

$2,768 $2,768

-14.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,826 $3,826

$4,931 $4,931

-22.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.38

6.81

-6.31%

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

Last update for Port St Lucie, FL: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Port St Lucie, FL

$1.6K 55.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 0.3% $5

Groceries & Markets

Port St Lucie, FL

$368 12.8%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 21.6% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port St Lucie, FL

$344 12%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 5.3% $18

Eating Out

Port St Lucie, FL

$324 11.3%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 6.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Port St Lucie, FL

$122 4.2%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 35% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Port St Lucie, FL

$71 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 16.9% $12

Getting Around

Port St Lucie, FL

$58 * 2%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 60% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,824 in Port St Lucie, 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 29% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Port St Lucie, FL versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $447 – making Port St Lucie, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Port St Lucie, FL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

14:11 2:11 PM

13:11 1:11 PM

1 h behind Port St Lucie, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

164,603

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

Port St Lucie, FL Chicago, IL 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Port St Lucie, 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

Port St Lucie, FL vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,870 in Port St Lucie, FL, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Port St Lucie, FL comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,305 per month in Port St Lucie, 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 Port St Lucie, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,824 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Port St Lucie, FL and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,870 in Port St Lucie, 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 Port St Lucie, 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 Port St Lucie, 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.