Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Hoffman Estates, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Hoffman Estates, IL: $2,548 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Hoffman Estates, IL
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Hoffman Estates, IL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Hoffman Estates, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Hoffman Estates, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Hoffman Estates, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,548 in Hoffman Estates, IL.

Austin, TX $2,698
Hoffman Estates, IL $2,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,650 in Hoffman Estates, IL.

Austin, TX $4,160
Hoffman Estates, IL $3,650

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,753 in Hoffman Estates, IL.

Austin, TX $5,622
Hoffman Estates, IL $4,753

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 6% more expensive than in Hoffman Estates, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Hoffman Estates, IL 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$17.29 $17.29

19.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$66.6 $66.6

27.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.17 $10.17

18.68%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.86 $4.86

12.76%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.76 $2.76

37.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.01 $2.01

22.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.40 $6.40

25.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.17 $6.17

43.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.01 $1.01

9.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.43 $3.43

8.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.29 $4.29

-21.45%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.27 $4.27

1.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.41 $12.41

5.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.38 $11.38

24.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.28 $17.28

-5.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.96 $4.96

-8.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.59 $1.59

-8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.27 $4.27

10.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.60 $4.60

-9.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.72 $2.72

-5.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.01 $3.01

-21.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.14 $2.14

-17.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.20 $2.20

-2.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.92 $8.92

13.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.93 $14.93

1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.21 $2.21

27.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.87 $2.87

19.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.05 $2.05

-24.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.37 $3.37

-16.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.52 $1.52

5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$30.23 $30.23

13.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.22 $1.22

-22.95%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$26.4K $26.4K

28.73%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-1.09%

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

$223 $223

$222 $222

0.26%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$59.5 $59.5

-0.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$68.7 $68.7

2.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.74 $41.74

38.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$13.87 $13.87

2.81%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,385 $1,385

9.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$25.3K $25.3K

-17.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$58.7 $58.7

-12.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$40.85 $40.85

8.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$90.1 $90.1

-3.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$122 $122

-14.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,618 $1,618

19.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,283 $1,283

2.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,803 $2,803

30.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,029 $2,029

26.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,652 $2,652

177.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,396 $2,396

30.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$2,390 $2,390

121.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.57

3.35%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hoffman Estates, IL: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$1.3K 50.4% 2.5% $33

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$395 15.5% 2.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$350 13.7% 0.6% $2

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$291 11.4% 17% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$140 5.5% 8.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$69 2.7% 19.4% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Hoffman Estates, IL

$19 * 0.8% 66.9% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,618 in Hoffman Estates, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 121% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $67.0 in Hoffman Estates, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $395 per month, with Hoffman Estates, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Hoffman Estates, IL

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

51,895

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Hoffman Estates, IL 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Hoffman Estates, 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

Austin, TX vs Hoffman Estates, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hoffman Estates, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hoffman Estates, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 121% higher in Austin, 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,618 in Hoffman Estates, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,385 in Hoffman Estates, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hoffman Estates, IL – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Hoffman Estates, IL 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Hoffman Estates, IL are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hoffman Estates, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.