City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Chicago | Fort Myers | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,314/mo | $1,322/mo | 0.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $304,500 | $318,900 | 4.5% lower in A |
| Median household income | $71,673 | $57,403 | 24.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 107.0 | 96.7 | 10.6% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 83.8 | 88.0 | 4.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 100.4 | 97.8 | 2.7% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.4 | 99.3 | 1.2% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Chicago, you'd need $102,690 in Fort Myers to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Chicago, IL is about 2.6% cheaper overall than Fort Myers, FL, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 9% lower in Chicago than in Fort Myers. If you earn $80,000 in Chicago, you'd need about $82,152 in Fort Myers to keep the same standard of living.