Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Allen, TX and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Allen, TX: $2,811 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Allen, TX
Learn more

Allen, TX Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Allen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,811

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,811 in Allen, TX versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL.

Allen, TX $2,811
Chicago, IL $3,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,096 in Allen, TX versus $4,631 in Chicago, IL.

Allen, TX $4,096
Chicago, IL $4,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,381 in Allen, TX versus $6,077 in Chicago, IL.

Allen, TX $5,381
Chicago, IL $6,077

Living in Allen, TX costs roughly 12% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Allen, TX 108% above, Chicago, IL 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 $19.96

$21.58 $21.58

-7.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 $61.1

$88.7 $88.7

-31.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 $10.96

$13.20 $13.20

-16.97%

Cappuccino

$6.15 $6.15

$5.59 $5.59

10.02%

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

$2.89 $2.89

$2.63 $2.63

9.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.26 $2.26

-23.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.52 $5.52

$7.11 $7.11

-22.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.26 $9.26

$9.23 $9.23

0.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.28 $1.28

-31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.84 $3.84

-26.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$5.07 $5.07

-54.83%

Eggs

$3.75 $3.75

$4.84 $4.84

-22.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$14.17 $14.17

-26.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.92 $14.92

$14.61 $14.61

2.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.99 $16.99

$18.76 $18.76

-9.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$5.19 $5.19

-38.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.00 $2.00

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$4.00 $4.00

-27.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$4.98 $4.98

-47.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.79 $2.79

-23.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.65 $2.65

-24.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.13 $2.13

-19.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$3.09 $3.09

-22.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 $9.67

$16.05 $16.05

-39.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.88 $11.88

$15.20 $15.20

-21.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.62 $2.62

-19.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.46 $3.46

-7.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.47 $2.47

18.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.0 $59.0

$75.1 $75.1

-21.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.21 $3.21

-7.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.39 $1.39

26.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.24 $24.24

$25.02 $25.02

-3.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.24 $1.24

-25.81%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$37.2K $37.2K

-1.58%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$25.8K $25.8K

-2.25%

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

$159 $159

$192 $192

-17.22%

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

$87.0 $87.0

$67.8 $67.8

28.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 $66.7

$60.9 $60.9

9.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 $75.5

$53.6 $53.6

40.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.46 $30.46

$27.90 $27.90

9.18%

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 $11.89

$17.80 $17.80

-33.20%

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

$1,754 $1,754

$1,554 $1,554

12.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K $28.1K

$31.4K $31.4K

-10.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 $56.2

$67.9 $67.9

-17.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.48 $28.48

$50.8 $50.8

-43.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 $94.7

$101 $101

-6.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 $99.0

$143 $143

-30.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 $1,524

$2,383 $2,383

-36.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 $1,499

$1,712 $1,712

-12.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 $2,477

$4,674 $4,674

-47.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,496 $2,496

$2,738 $2,738

-8.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,697 $3,697

$4,158 $4,158

-11.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,957 $2,957

$2,691 $2,691

9.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,145 $6,145

$4,894 $4,894

25.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

6.77

-3.55%

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

Last update for Allen, TX: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Allen, TX

$1.5K 53.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 14.2% $213

Groceries & Markets

Allen, TX

$361 12.8%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 25% $90

Eating Out

Allen, TX

$331 11.8%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 6.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Allen, TX

$313 11.1%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 2.6% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Allen, TX

$125 4.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 30.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Allen, TX

$99 3.5%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 10.1% $10

Getting Around

Allen, TX

$83 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 15.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Allen, TX and $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Allen, TX pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Allen, TX vs $89.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $451 per month, with Allen, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Allen, TX

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

Same time as Allen, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,874

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

Allen, TX Chicago, IL 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Allen, TX
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

Allen, TX vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Allen, TX and Chicago, IL differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,811 vs $3,185 including rent). Allen, TX is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Allen, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Allen, TX versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Allen, TX – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Allen, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Allen, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.