Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Baytown, TX: $2,419 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

116

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

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

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Baytown, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,419

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,419 in Baytown, TX versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Baytown, TX $2,419
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,058 in Baytown, TX versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Baytown, TX $3,058
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,697 in Baytown, TX versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Baytown, TX $3,697
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Baytown, TX costs roughly 20% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Baytown, TX 78% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.36 $20.36

$20.71 $20.71

-1.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.75 $39.75

$89.2 $89.2

-55.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 $11.09

$13.19 $13.19

-15.92%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$5.66 $5.66

-3.71%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$2.64 $2.64

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.28 $2.28

-17.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.08 $5.08

$6.87 $6.87

-26.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 $5.65

$8.84 $8.84

-36.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.25 $1.25

-13.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 $2.37

$3.72 $3.72

-36.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$5.39 $5.39

6.49%

Eggs

$3.86 $3.86

$4.74 $4.74

-18.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 $8.49

$13.84 $13.84

-38.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.63 $9.63

$14.40 $14.40

-33.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.40 $21.40

$18.38 $18.38

16.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.22 $5.22

-17.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.98 $1.98

-47.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$4.06 $4.06

37.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$4.97 $4.97

11.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.67 $2.67

6.37%

Onion (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$2.66 $2.66

106.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.24 $2.24

-42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.13 $3.13

-35.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 $5.92

$13.82 $13.82

-57.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.33 $11.33

$14.88 $14.88

-23.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.54 $2.54

43.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.51 $3.51

16.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.94 $14.94

$25.03 $25.03

-40.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.20 $1.20

-23.33%

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

$48.5K $48.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

38.53%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

-6.78%

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

$203 $203

$194 $194

4.44%

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

$40.58 $40.58

$69.5 $69.5

-41.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 $66.4

$61.6 $61.6

7.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.86 $14.86

$47.90 $47.90

-68.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$8.94 $8.94

$17.81 $17.81

-49.80%

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

$1,794 $1,794

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.03 $38.03

$67.0 $67.0

-43.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.67 $19.67

$52.1 $52.1

-62.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.9 $61.9

$102 $102

-39.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.3 $64.3

$144 $144

-55.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 $1,292

$2,526 $2,526

-48.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 $1,293

$1,578 $1,578

-18.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 $1,835

$4,738 $4,738

-61.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 $1,367

$2,693 $2,693

-49.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,750 $3,750

$4,931 $4,931

-23.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.71

6.81

-1.47%

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

Last update for Baytown, TX: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baytown, TX

$1.3K 53.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 22.1% $286

Groceries & Markets

Baytown, TX

$386 16%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 15.8% $61

Eating Out

Baytown, TX

$315 13%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 9.7% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baytown, TX

$310 12.8%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Baytown, TX

$83 3.4%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 98.2% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Baytown, TX

$33 1.4%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 155% $51

Getting Around

Baytown, TX

- * 0%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

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 $1,292 in Baytown, TX and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $40 in Baytown, TX vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $447 per month, with Baytown, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Baytown, TX

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

13:04 1:04 PM

Same time as Baytown, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,418

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Baytown, TX Chicago, IL 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Baytown, 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

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

Baytown, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baytown, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Baytown, TX. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,292 in Baytown, TX versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,419 per month in Baytown, TX versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Baytown, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Baytown, TX wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.