Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Brownsville, TX: $1,752 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

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

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

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Brownsville, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,752

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,752 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Brownsville, TX $1,752
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $2,612 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Brownsville, TX $2,612
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $3,472 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Brownsville, TX $3,472
Chicago, IL $5,999

Brownsville, TX is about 42% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brownsville, TX and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Brownsville, TX by 29%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 $10.13

$20.71 $20.71

-51.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 $59.9

$89.2 $89.2

-32.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 $7.95

$13.19 $13.19

-39.73%

Cappuccino

$4.03 $4.03

$5.66 $5.66

-28.80%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$2.64 $2.64

-23.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.28 $2.28

-11.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$6.87 $6.87

-26.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$8.84 $8.84

-42.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.25 $1.25

-32.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 $2.24

$3.72 $3.72

-39.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$5.39 $5.39

-58.81%

Eggs

$2.83 $2.83

$4.74 $4.74

-40.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$13.84 $13.84

-32.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.84 $12.84

$14.40 $14.40

-10.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 $9.11

$18.38 $18.38

-50.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$5.22 $5.22

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.98 $1.98

15.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$4.06 $4.06

-58.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$4.97 $4.97

-60.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.67 $2.67

8.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.66 $2.66

-59.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.24 $2.24

-54.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$3.13 $3.13

-67.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 $9.57

$13.82 $13.82

-30.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 $7.35

$14.88 $14.88

-50.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.54 $2.54

-19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.51 $3.51

-36.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.18 $3.18

30.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.39 $1.39

-44.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.20 $1.20

-28.33%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-17.48%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-8.80%

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

$162 $162

$194 $194

-16.87%

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

$37.04 $37.04

$69.5 $69.5

-46.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 $67.4

$61.6 $61.6

9.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.89 $49.89

$47.90 $47.90

4.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 $11.78

$17.81 $17.81

-33.86%

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

$595 $595

$1,794 $1,794

-66.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 $78.7

$67.0 $67.0

17.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.47 $44.47

$52.1 $52.1

-14.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 $75.8

$102 $102

-25.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 $96.5

$144 $144

-32.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 $944

$2,526 $2,526

-62.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$796 $796

$1,578 $1,578

-49.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,656 $1,656

$4,738 $4,738

-65.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 $1,384

$2,693 $2,693

-48.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,860 $1,860

$4,190 $4,190

-55.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,856 $1,856

$2,768 $2,768

-32.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,159 $3,159

$4,931 $4,931

-35.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

6.81

-4.85%

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

Last update for Brownsville, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brownsville, TX

$796 45.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 98.2% $782

Groceries & Markets

Brownsville, TX

$271 15.4%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 65.4% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brownsville, TX

$266 15.2%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 22.4% $59

Eating Out

Brownsville, TX

$205 11.7%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 68.4% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Brownsville, TX

$133 7.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 23.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Brownsville, TX

$73 4.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 13.7% $10

Getting Around

Brownsville, TX

$8 * 0.5%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 1069% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $944 in Brownsville, 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 56% 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 $60 in Brownsville, TX versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $447 – making Brownsville, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brownsville, TX

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

09:13 9:13 AM

Same time as Brownsville, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

186,738

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Brownsville, TX Chicago, IL 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Brownsville, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,752 in Brownsville, TX, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Brownsville, TX comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,628 per month in Brownsville, 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 Brownsville, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $944 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,752 in Brownsville, TX and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. That makes Brownsville, TX about 42% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $595 per month in Brownsville, 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 Brownsville, TX, where all-in costs run around $1,752, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Brownsville, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Brownsville, 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 Brownsville, 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.