Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Fort Lauderdale, FL 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Fort Lauderdale, FL is 6.2% lower than in Chicago, IL (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Fort Lauderdale, FL is 3.1% lower than in Chicago, IL | |
| Rent Prices in Fort Lauderdale, FL are 2.1% higher than in Chicago, IL | |
| Restaurant Prices in Fort Lauderdale, FL are 1.1% lower than in Chicago, IL | |
| Groceries Prices in Fort Lauderdale, FL are 11.6% lower than in Chicago, IL | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Fort Lauderdale, FL is 5.0% lower than in Chicago, IL | |
Restaurants | Chicago, IL Edit |
Fort Lauderdale, FL Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 20.50 $ | 21.00 $ | +2.4 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 100.00 $ | 110.00 $ | +10.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 12.00 $ | 10.50 $ | -12.5 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 7.00 $ | 6.00 $ | -14.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.25 $ | 6.50 $ | -21.2 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.67 $ | 5.00 $ | -11.8 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.03 $ | 2.71 $ | -10.7 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.41 $ | 2.12 $ | -11.9 % |
Markets | Chicago, IL Edit |
Fort Lauderdale, FL Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.01 $ | 3.74 $ | -6.7 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.66 $ | 3.67 $ | +0.3 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.47 $ | 1.53 $ | -38.1 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 4.58 $ | 3.86 $ | -15.7 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.52 $ | 5.25 $ | -19.5 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.83 $ | 4.25 $ | -37.8 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 8.70 $ | 8.71 $ | +0.1 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.40 $ | 2.52 $ | +5.0 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.79 $ | 0.70 $ | -11.4 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.95 $ | 1.99 $ | +2.0 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.02 $ | 2.44 $ | +20.8 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.13 $ | 1.61 $ | +41.9 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.25 $ | 1.56 $ | +24.4 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 2.45 $ | 2.24 $ | -8.9 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.65 $ | 2.05 $ | -22.6 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 15.00 $ | 10.50 $ | -30.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.42 $ | 1.73 $ | -28.6 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.64 $ | 2.82 $ | -22.4 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 15.00 $ | 10.00 $ | -33.3 % |
Transportation | Chicago, IL Edit |
Fort Lauderdale, FL Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.50 $ | 2.38 $ | -5.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 75.00 $ | 72.50 $ | -3.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.25 $ | 4.50 $ | +38.5 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.25 $ | 2.50 $ | +11.1 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 25.00 $ | 22.00 $ | -12.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 4.06 $ | 3.31 $ | -18.5 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 31,965.00 $ | 26,000.00 $ | -18.7 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 26,398.93 $ | 24,669.95 $ | -6.5 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Chicago, IL Edit |
Fort Lauderdale, FL Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 184.60 $ | 171.20 $ | -7.3 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 62.71 $ | 58.85 $ | -6.2 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 66.29 $ | 69.44 $ | +4.8 % |
Sports And Leisure | Chicago, IL Edit |
Fort Lauderdale, FL Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 76.43 $ | 75.67 $ | -1.0 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 13.12 $ | 13.33 $ | +1.6 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.00 $ | 15.00 $ | 0.0 % |
Childcare | Chicago, IL Edit |
Fort Lauderdale, FL Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,056.25 $ | 816.67 $ | -60.3 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 39,114.29 $ | 16,000.00 $ | -59.1 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Chicago, IL Edit |
Fort Lauderdale, FL Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 64.22 $ | 47.50 $ | -26.0 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 51.54 $ | 45.00 $ | -12.7 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 96.12 $ | 88.00 $ | -8.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 145.88 $ | 95.57 $ | -34.5 % |
Rent Per Month | Chicago, IL Edit |
Fort Lauderdale, FL Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,344.23 $ | 2,313.56 $ | -1.3 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,600.95 $ | 1,956.00 $ | +22.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,682.61 $ | 3,737.40 $ | -20.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,767.39 $ | 3,630.14 $ | +31.2 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Chicago, IL Edit |
Fort Lauderdale, FL Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 320.76 $ | 394.16 $ | +22.9 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 230.28 $ | 349.39 $ | +51.7 % |
Salaries And Financing | Chicago, IL Edit |
Fort Lauderdale, FL Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,177.98 $ | 4,764.95 $ | -8.0 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.60 | 6.53 | -1.1 % |
| Last update: | 12 June 2025 | 7 April 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 247 | 31 |
Moving to Chicago, IL? Explore:
Moving to Fort Lauderdale, FL? Explore:
Cities near Chicago, IL: | Cost of Living in Oak Park, Illinois | 9.14 miles |
| Cost of Living in Evanston, Illinois | 14.20 miles |
| Cost of Living in La Grange Park, Illinois | 15.03 miles |
| Cost of Living in Franklin Park, Illinois | 16.69 miles |
| Cost of Living in Des Plaines, Illinois | 20.82 miles |
| Cost of Living in East Chicago, Indiana | 23.76 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wheaton, Illinois | 25.81 miles |
| Cost of Living in Arlington Heights, Illinois | 27.19 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bolingbrook, Illinois | 29.21 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wheeling, Illinois | 29.29 miles |
Cities near Fort Lauderdale, FL: | Cost of Living in Deerfield Beach, Florida | 16.87 miles |
| Cost of Living in Miami, Florida | 27.52 miles |
| Cost of Living in Boynton Beach, Florida | 32.06 miles |
| Cost of Living in West Palm Beach, Florida | 45.75 miles |
| Cost of Living in Port St Lucie, Florida | 89.52 miles |
| Cost of Living in Naples, Florida | 107.35 miles |
| Cost of Living in Fort Myers, Florida | 139.90 miles |
| Cost of Living in Venice, Florida | 197.14 miles |
| Cost of Living in Orlando, Florida | 211.67 miles |