Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Amarillo, TX: $2,247 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Amarillo, TX
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Amarillo, TX Living Index
147

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

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Amarillo, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,247

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,247 per month in Amarillo, TX vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Amarillo, TX $2,247
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,305 per month in Amarillo, TX vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Amarillo, TX $3,305
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,363 per month in Amarillo, TX vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Amarillo, TX $4,363
Chicago, IL $5,999

Amarillo, TX is about 26% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Amarillo, TX and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Amarillo, TX by 65%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.22 $15.22

$20.71 $20.71

-26.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 $68.0

$89.2 $89.2

-23.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.83 $12.83

$13.19 $13.19

-2.73%

Cappuccino

$6.80 $6.80

$5.66 $5.66

20.14%

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

$2.22 $2.22

$2.64 $2.64

-15.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.28 $2.28

-29.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.08 $4.08

$6.87 $6.87

-40.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$8.84 $8.84

-20.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.25 $1.25

-7.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.72 $3.72

-9.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$5.39 $5.39

-36.73%

Eggs

$4.52 $4.52

$4.74 $4.74

-4.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 $16.19

$13.84 $13.84

16.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.66 $12.66

$14.40 $14.40

-12.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.34 $27.34

$18.38 $18.38

48.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$5.22 $5.22

-22.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.98 $1.98

-6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$4.06 $4.06

12.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.97 $4.97

-24.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.67 $2.67

-19.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.66 $2.66

10.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.24 $2.24

-22.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.13 $3.13

-16.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.85 $9.85

$13.82 $13.82

-28.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 $12.10

$14.88 $14.88

-18.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.54 $2.54

-18.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.51 $3.51

-42.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.43 $2.43

-58.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.36 $30.36

$73.5 $73.5

-58.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.20 $1.20

-25.83%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.32%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$26.7K $26.7K

-4.25%

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

$294 $294

$194 $194

51.41%

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

$51.7 $51.7

$69.5 $69.5

-25.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.9 $89.9

$61.6 $61.6

45.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.46 $45.46

$47.90 $47.90

-5.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 $9.82

$17.81 $17.81

-44.86%

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

$715 $715

$1,794 $1,794

-60.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.62 $37.62

$67.0 $67.0

-43.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 $59.9

$102 $102

-40.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$144 $144

-17.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 $911

$2,526 $2,526

-63.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$894 $894

$1,578 $1,578

-43.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,810 $1,810

$4,738 $4,738

-61.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 $1,533

$2,693 $2,693

-43.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,572 $1,572

$4,190 $4,190

-62.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,558 $1,558

$2,768 $2,768

-43.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,763 $3,763

$4,931 $4,931

-23.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.12

6.81

-10.13%

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

Last update for Amarillo, TX: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amarillo, TX

$894 39.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 76.5% $684

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amarillo, TX

$436 19.4%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 25.3% $110

Groceries & Markets

Amarillo, TX

$428 19.1%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 4.5% $19

Eating Out

Amarillo, TX

$291 13%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 18.4% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Amarillo, TX

$98 * 4.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 68.2% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Amarillo, TX

$65 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 28.3% $18

Getting Around

Amarillo, TX

$34 * 1.5%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 171% $59

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $911 in Amarillo, TX 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.

Salaries run about 31% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Amarillo, TX versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $428 vs $447 – making Amarillo, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amarillo, TX

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

22:47 10:47 PM

Same time as Amarillo, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

198,645

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Amarillo, TX Chicago, IL 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Amarillo, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,247 in Amarillo, TX, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Amarillo, TX comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,370 per month in Amarillo, TX 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 Amarillo, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $911 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Public transport costs about 59% less in Amarillo, TX. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $715 per month in Amarillo, TX and $1,794 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Amarillo, TX, where all-in costs run around $2,247, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Amarillo, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Amarillo, TX – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Amarillo, TX. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.