Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Abilene, TX: $2,314 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Abilene, TX
Learn more

Abilene, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Abilene, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,314

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Abilene, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,314 in Abilene, TX.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Abilene, TX $2,314

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,215 in Abilene, TX.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Abilene, TX $3,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $4,115 in Abilene, TX.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Abilene, TX $4,115

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 31% more expensive than in Abilene, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Abilene, TX 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.87 $17.87

15.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$66.2 $66.2

34.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$8.81 $8.81

49.72%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.52 $5.52

2.54%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.42 $2.42

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.87 $1.87

21.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.90 $4.90

40.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.57 $5.57

58.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.03 $1.03

21.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.40 $2.40

55.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.68 $5.68

-5.11%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.74 $3.74

26.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$8.68 $8.68

59.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.02 $13.02

10.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$14.43 $14.43

27.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.32 $3.32

57.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.03 $1.03

92.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.78 $4.78

-15.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.41 $5.41

-8.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.25 $4.25

-37.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.58 $3.58

-25.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.42 $2.42

-7.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.95 $1.95

60.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.91 $8.91

55.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$11.28 $11.28

31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.61 $2.61

-2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.88 $3.88

-9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.72 $1.72

41.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$53.1 $53.1

38.45%

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

$15.20 $15.20

64.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.90 $0.90

33.33%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$22.9K $22.9K

53.24%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.98%

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

$194 $194

$239 $239

-18.70%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$57.6 $57.6

20.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$63.0 $63.0

-2.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$16.81 $16.81

184.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.08 $12.08

47.43%

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)

$67.0 $67.0

$43.00 $43.00

55.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$20.34 $20.34

156.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$62.7 $62.7

62.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$65.8 $65.8

118.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,000 $1,000

152.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,106 $1,106

42.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,309 $1,309

262.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,537 $1,537

75.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,109 $2,109

98.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,716 $1,716

61.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,448 $3,448

43.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.49

4.93%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Abilene, TX: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Abilene, TX

$1.1K 47.8% 29.9% $472

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Abilene, TX

$372 16.1% 16.9% $76

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Abilene, TX

$288 12.5% 16.4% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Abilene, TX

$360 15.6% 10.5% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Abilene, TX

$86 3.7% 47.4% $78

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Abilene, TX

$60 * 2.6% 35.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Abilene, TX

$41 1.8% 51% $43

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 $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,000 in Abilene, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 43% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $66 in Abilene, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $372 per month, with Abilene, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Abilene, TX

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

125,182

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Abilene, TX 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Abilene, TX

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,314 in Abilene, TX, so Abilene, TX is about 24% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Chicago, IL, 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: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,000 in Abilene, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Abilene, TX – a meal for two runs $66 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Abilene, TX runs roughly 28% less than in Chicago, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,314 in Abilene, TX versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Abilene, TX but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Abilene, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Abilene, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.