Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sun City Center, FL and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Sun City Center, FL: $2,492 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Sun City Center, FL
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Sun City Center, FL Living Index
147

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

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Sun City Center, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,492

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,492 per month in Sun City Center, FL vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Sun City Center, FL $2,492
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,720 per month in Sun City Center, FL vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Sun City Center, FL $3,720
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,948 per month in Sun City Center, FL vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Sun City Center, FL $4,948
Chicago, IL $5,999

Sun City Center, FL is about 18% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sun City Center, FL and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Sun City Center, FL by 83%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.50 $22.50

$20.71 $20.71

8.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 $69.4

$89.2 $89.2

-22.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 $11.90

$13.19 $13.19

-9.78%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$5.66 $5.66

-1.94%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$2.64 $2.64

-7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.28 $2.28

-17.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$6.87 $6.87

-26.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.38 $7.38

$8.84 $8.84

-16.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.25 $1.25

-20.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.72 $3.72

-8.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$5.39 $5.39

-35.25%

Eggs

$3.02 $3.02

$4.74 $4.74

-36.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.07 $12.07

$13.84 $13.84

-12.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.39 $13.39

$14.40 $14.40

-7.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.04 $19.04

$18.38 $18.38

3.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$5.22 $5.22

-0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.98 $1.98

-14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$4.06 $4.06

39.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$4.97 $4.97

-35.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.67 $2.67

-29.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.66 $2.66

21.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.24 $2.24

17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 $1.31

$3.13 $3.13

-58.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.19 $9.19

$13.82 $13.82

-33.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.15 $13.15

$14.88 $14.88

-11.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.54 $2.54

-29.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.51 $3.51

39.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.43 $2.43

-12.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.5 $60.5

$73.5 $73.5

-17.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.18 $3.18

12.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.39 $1.39

5.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.67 $29.67

$25.03 $25.03

18.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.20 $1.20

-15.00%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.46%

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

$22.6K $22.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-15.40%

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

$119 $119

$194 $194

-38.58%

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

$37.81 $37.81

$69.5 $69.5

-45.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 $61.0

$61.6 $61.6

-1.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.79 $44.79

$47.90 $47.90

-6.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 $14.92

$17.81 $17.81

-16.23%

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

$1,038 $1,038

$1,794 $1,794

-42.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K $18.3K

$31.9K $31.9K

-42.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.17 $37.17

$67.0 $67.0

-44.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.66 $40.66

$52.1 $52.1

-22.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 $87.3

$102 $102

-13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 $184

$144 $144

27.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 $1,462

$2,526 $2,526

-42.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 $1,234

$1,578 $1,578

-21.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 $2,522

$4,738 $4,738

-46.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,089 $2,089

$2,693 $2,693

-22.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,247 $3,247

$4,190 $4,190

-22.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,501 $2,501

$2,768 $2,768

-9.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.81

-3.08%

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

Last update for Sun City Center, FL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sun City Center, FL

$1.2K 49.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 27.8% $344

Groceries & Markets

Sun City Center, FL

$388 15.6%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 15.2% $59

Eating Out

Sun City Center, FL

$339 13.6%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 1.6% $5.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sun City Center, FL

$218 8.8%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 49.2% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Sun City Center, FL

$157 6.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 4.5% $7

Getting Around

Sun City Center, FL

$80 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 16.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Sun City Center, FL

$75 3%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 11.9% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,462 in Sun City Center, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Sun City Center, FL versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $447 – making Sun City Center, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sun City Center, FL

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

18:18 6:18 PM

17:18 5:18 PM

1 h behind Sun City Center, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,258

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Sun City Center, FL Chicago, IL 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sun City Center, 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

Sun City Center, FL vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,492 in Sun City Center, FL, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Sun City Center, FL comes out roughly 18% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,738 per month in Sun City Center, 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 Sun City Center, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,462 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Sun City Center, FL and $89 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 $2,492 in Sun City Center, 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 Sun City Center, FL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Sun City Center, FL is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 18% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.