Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Allen, TX: $2,811 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Allen, TX
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Allen, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Allen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL versus $2,811 in Allen, TX.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Allen, TX $2,811

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,631 in Chicago, IL versus $4,096 in Allen, TX.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Allen, TX $4,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,077 in Chicago, IL versus $5,381 in Allen, TX.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Allen, TX $5,381

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 13% more expensive than in Allen, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 136% above, Allen, TX 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$19.96 $19.96

8.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$61.1 $61.1

45.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$10.96 $10.96

20.44%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$6.15 $6.15

-9.11%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.89 $2.89

-9.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.73 $1.73

30.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$5.52 $5.52

28.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$9.26 $9.26

-0.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.88 $0.88

45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.82 $2.82

36.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.29 $2.29

121.40%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$3.75 $3.75

29.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$10.45 $10.45

35.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$14.92 $14.92

-2.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$16.99 $16.99

10.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.18 $3.18

63.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.60 $2.60

-23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.89 $2.89

38.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.59 $2.59

92.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.14 $2.14

30.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.99 $1.99

33.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.72 $1.72

23.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.40 $2.40

28.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$9.67 $9.67

65.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$11.88 $11.88

27.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.12 $2.12

23.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.20 $3.20

8.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.93 $2.93

-15.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$59.0 $59.0

27.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.98 $2.98

7.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.76 $1.76

-21.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$24.24 $24.24

3.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.92 $0.92

34.78%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$36.6K $36.6K

1.60%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.2K $25.2K

2.31%

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

$192 $192

$159 $159

20.80%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$87.0 $87.0

-22.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$66.7 $66.7

-8.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$75.5 $75.5

-29.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$30.46 $30.46

-8.40%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$11.89 $11.89

49.71%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,754 $1,754

-11.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$28.1K $28.1K

11.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$56.2 $56.2

20.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$28.48 $28.48

78.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$94.7 $94.7

7.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$99.0 $99.0

44.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,524 $1,524

56.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,499 $1,499

14.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,477 $2,477

88.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,496 $2,496

9.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$3,697 $3,697

12.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$2,957 $2,957

-9.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$6,145 $6,145

-20.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.53

3.68%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Allen, TX: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Allen, TX

$1.5K 53.3% 12.4% $213

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Allen, TX

$361 12.8% 20% $90

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Allen, TX

$331 11.8% 6.3% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Allen, TX

$313 11.1% 2.5% $8.1

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Allen, TX

$125 4.5% 23.4% $38

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Allen, TX

$83 2.9% 13.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Allen, TX

$99 3.5% 11.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,383 in Chicago, IL and $1,524 in Allen, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Allen, TX pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89.0 in Chicago, IL vs $61.0 in Allen, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $361 per month, with Allen, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Allen, TX

🕒 Local time

12:55 12:55 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

106,874

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Allen, TX 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Chicago, IL and Allen, TX differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($3,185 vs $2,811 including rent). Allen, TX is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Allen, 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: $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,524 in Allen, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Allen, TX – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Allen, 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.

Expats usually find Allen, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.