Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Sarasota, FL and in Chicago, IL: $3,100 and $3,072 a month, rent and utilities included.

149

Cost of Living Index in Sarasota, FL
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Sarasota, FL Living Index
146

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

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Sarasota, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,100

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,100 per month in Sarasota, FL vs $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Sarasota, FL $3,100
Chicago, IL $3,072

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Sarasota, FL vs $4,545 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Sarasota, FL $4,631
Chicago, IL $4,545

A family of three spends $6,163 per month in Sarasota, FL vs $6,019 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Sarasota, FL $6,163
Chicago, IL $6,019

Sarasota, FL and Chicago, IL have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Sarasota, FL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Sarasota, FL by 129%, Chicago, IL by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.79 $27.79

$20.39 $20.39

36.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 $85.2

$88.6 $88.6

-3.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 $11.01

$12.85 $12.85

-14.32%

Cappuccino

$5.85 $5.85

$5.78 $5.78

1.21%

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

$3.32 $3.32

$2.74 $2.74

21.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.26 $2.26

26.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 $5.63

$6.88 $6.88

-18.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 $7.07

$9.24 $9.24

-23.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.26 $1.26

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.55 $3.55

16.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$5.38 $5.38

-11.34%

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$4.55 $4.55

-7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.42 $15.42

$13.65 $13.65

12.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.09 $14.09

$14.07 $14.07

0.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.63 $22.63

$18.06 $18.06

25.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$5.16 $5.16

-5.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.98 $1.98

-27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.88 $3.88

-29.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$4.83 $4.83

30.02%

Potato (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$2.81 $2.81

85.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.67 $2.67

10.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.07 $2.07

5.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$3.03 $3.03

-23.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.12 $9.12

$13.90 $13.90

-34.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 $11.61

$15.05 $15.05

-22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.63 $2.63

-17.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.45 $3.45

21.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.43 $2.43

-39.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 $50.8

$75.3 $75.3

-32.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.28 $1.28

-25.78%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$35.8K $35.8K

3.86%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-4.26%

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

$130 $130

$192 $192

-32.32%

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

$44.84 $44.84

$69.6 $69.6

-35.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.5 $82.5

$62.2 $62.2

32.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.72 $47.72

$47.79 $47.79

-0.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.76 $13.76

$27.10 $27.10

-49.23%

Cinema Ticket

$20.35 $20.35

$17.83 $17.83

14.13%

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

$860 $860

$1,815 $1,815

-52.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$40.6K $40.6K

-46.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 $62.8

$66.2 $66.2

-5.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.76 $49.76

$51.4 $51.4

-3.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$103 $103

11.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 $156

$143 $143

9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,238 $2,238

$2,531 $2,531

-11.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 $1,681

$1,621 $1,621

3.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,873 $5,873

$4,828 $4,828

21.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,895 $2,895

$2,734 $2,734

5.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,876 $4,876

$4,163 $4,163

17.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,863 $2,863

$2,723 $2,723

5.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,367 $4,367

$4,924 $4,924

-11.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

6.78

-6.34%

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

Last update for Sarasota, FL: November 2, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sarasota, FL

$1.7K 54.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8% 3.6% $60

Groceries & Markets

Sarasota, FL

$451 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3% 2.6% $12

Eating Out

Sarasota, FL

$393 12.7%

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2% 12.4% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarasota, FL

$257 8.3%

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5% 25.9% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Sarasota, FL

$173 5.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3% 5.3% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Sarasota, FL

$88 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7% 5.6% $5

Getting Around

Sarasota, FL

$57 * 1.8%

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2% 70.7% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,238 in Sarasota, FL versus $2,531 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 13% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Sarasota, FL versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $451 in Sarasota, FL vs $439 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sarasota, FL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

06:04 6:04 AM

1 h behind Sarasota, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,942

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sarasota, FL Chicago, IL 1,680 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sarasota, 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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,650 per month in Sarasota, FL and $4,608 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sarasota, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,238 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Sarasota, FL and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 33% less in Sarasota, FL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,100 in Sarasota, FL and $3,072 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 $3,072 in Chicago, IL to $3,100 in Sarasota, FL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.