Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Arlington, TX: $2,439 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, TX
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Arlington, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Arlington, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,439

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL versus $2,439 in Arlington, TX.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Arlington, TX $2,439

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,631 in Chicago, IL versus $3,647 in Arlington, TX.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Arlington, TX $3,647

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,077 in Chicago, IL versus $4,855 in Arlington, TX.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Arlington, TX $4,855

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 136% above, Arlington, TX 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$20.39 $20.39

5.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$55.3 $55.3

60.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$10.11 $10.11

30.56%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$4.86 $4.86

15.02%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.56 $2.56

2.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.29 $2.29

-1.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$5.38 $5.38

32.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$6.68 $6.68

38.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.78 $0.78

64.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.64 $3.64

5.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$5.26 $5.26

-3.61%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$2.67 $2.67

81.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$10.60 $10.60

33.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.10 $13.10

11.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$18.02 $18.02

4.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.44 $4.44

16.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.66 $2.66

-24.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$5.12 $5.12

-21.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.02 $4.02

23.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.53 $2.53

10.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.98 $2.98

-11.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.90 $1.90

12.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.06 $2.06

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$9.52 $9.52

68.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$12.03 $12.03

26.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.01 $2.01

30.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.36 $3.36

2.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$6.09 $6.09

-59.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$40.51 $40.51

85.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.93 $2.93

9.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.70 $1.70

-18.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$23.81 $23.81

5.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.94 $0.94

31.91%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$35.8K $35.8K

3.87%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

0.40%

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

$192 $192

$211 $211

-8.85%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$66.4 $66.4

2.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$64.1 $64.1

-5.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$40.87 $40.87

31.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$14.74 $14.74

20.76%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,332 $1,332

16.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$28.4K $28.4K

10.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$61.6 $61.6

10.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$51.0 $51.0

-0.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$84.9 $84.9

19.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$102 $102

41.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,536 $1,536

55.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,112 $1,112

53.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,533 $2,533

84.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,031 $2,031

34.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$2,173 $2,173

91.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$2,217 $2,217

21.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$3,699 $3,699

32.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.51

3.99%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Arlington, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Arlington, TX

$1.1K 45.6% 35% $600

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Arlington, TX

$393 16.1% 13% $59

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Arlington, TX

$311 12.8% 11.8% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Arlington, TX

$341 14% 6.4% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Arlington, TX

$135 5.5% 17.7% $29

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Arlington, TX

$76 3.1% 19.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Arlington, TX

$70 2.9% 21.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,383 in Chicago, IL and $1,536 in Arlington, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 32% 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: $89.0 in Chicago, IL vs $55.0 in Arlington, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $393 per month, with Arlington, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Arlington, TX

🕒 Local time

12:55 12:55 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

365,438

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Arlington, TX 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Arlington, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Arlington, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% 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: $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,536 in Arlington, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,439 in Arlington, TX – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Arlington, TX runs roughly 85% less than in Chicago, IL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Arlington, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Arlington, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,439 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Arlington, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Arlington, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.