Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Petersburg, FL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Petersburg, FL: $2,975 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Saint Petersburg, FL
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Saint Petersburg, FL Living Index
152

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

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Saint Petersburg, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,975

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,975 per month in Saint Petersburg, FL vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saint Petersburg, FL $2,975
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,332 per month in Saint Petersburg, FL vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saint Petersburg, FL $4,332
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,689 per month in Saint Petersburg, FL vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saint Petersburg, FL $5,689
Chicago, IL $6,115

Saint Petersburg, FL is about 5% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Saint Petersburg, FL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Saint Petersburg, FL by 120%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.06 $20.06

$20.65 $20.65

-2.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$90.2 $90.2

-12.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 $9.25

$12.94 $12.94

-28.52%

Cappuccino

$4.77 $4.77

$5.60 $5.60

-14.82%

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

$2.12 $2.12

$2.64 $2.64

-19.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.27 $2.27

-18.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 $6.42

$6.98 $6.98

-8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.58 $7.58

$8.83 $8.83

-14.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.80 $3.80

2.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$5.30 $5.30

-34.91%

Eggs

$4.61 $4.61

$4.76 $4.76

-3.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.28 $16.28

$13.96 $13.96

16.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.11 $15.11

$14.61 $14.61

3.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$18.77 $18.77

-24.51%

Apples (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$5.19 $5.19

20.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.98 $1.98

-26.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$3.93 $3.93

44.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$4.96 $4.96

23.59%

Potato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.76 $2.76

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.76 $2.76

38.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.22 $2.22

10.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.98 $2.98

-16.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.55 $9.55

$14.02 $14.02

-31.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$15.28 $15.28

-1.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.58 $2.58

-33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 $5.96

$3.50 $3.50

70.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.47 $2.47

-8.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.4 $78.4

$74.8 $74.8

4.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.34 $3.34

2.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.43 $1.43

6.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.9 $58.9

$24.32 $24.32

142.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.26 $1.26

-19.84%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-18.94%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.49%

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

$244 $244

$193 $193

26.84%

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

$46.37 $46.37

$68.3 $68.3

-32.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.6 $76.6

$61.3 $61.3

24.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.13 $36.13

$54.1 $54.1

-33.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.15 $16.15

$27.92 $27.92

-42.16%

Cinema Ticket

$15.35 $15.35

$17.74 $17.74

-13.47%

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

$1,270 $1,270

$1,652 $1,652

-23.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K $24.9K

$31.1K $31.1K

-19.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 $75.0

$66.1 $66.1

13.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.30 $41.30

$51.2 $51.2

-19.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 $72.3

$100 $100

-27.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$141 $141

-19.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,951 $1,951

$2,446 $2,446

-20.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 $1,542

$1,678 $1,678

-8.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,478 $3,478

$4,717 $4,717

-26.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,550 $2,550

$2,795 $2,795

-8.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,468 $5,468

$4,105 $4,105

33.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,724 $3,724

$2,650 $2,650

40.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,338 $4,338

$4,866 $4,866

-10.85%

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 Saint Petersburg, FL: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Petersburg, FL

$1.5K 51.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 8.8% $136

Groceries & Markets

Saint Petersburg, FL

$456 15.3%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 1.4% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Petersburg, FL

$367 12.4%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 12.3% $45

Eating Out

Saint Petersburg, FL

$309 10.4%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 11.3% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Petersburg, FL

$136 4.6%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 18.6% $25

Getting Around

Saint Petersburg, FL

$98 3.3%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 3.4% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Petersburg, FL

$67 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 34.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,951 in Saint Petersburg, FL versus $2,446 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 12% 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 $79.0 in Saint Petersburg, FL versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $456 in Saint Petersburg, FL vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Petersburg, FL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

08:36 8:36 AM

07:36 7:36 AM

1 h behind Saint Petersburg, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

244,324

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

Saint Petersburg, FL Chicago, IL 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Petersburg, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,975 in Saint Petersburg, FL, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,462 per month in Saint Petersburg, FL and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint Petersburg, FL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Saint Petersburg, FL and $90.0 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 $2,975 in Saint Petersburg, FL and $3,139 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 $2,975 in Saint Petersburg, FL to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Saint Petersburg, 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.