Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,631 in Chicago, IL versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,077 in Chicago, IL versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 20% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 136% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$20.77 $20.77

3.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$84.6 $84.6

4.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$12.32 $12.32

7.14%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.63 $5.63

-0.71%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$3.72 $3.72

-29.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.50 $2.50

-9.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$8.05 $8.05

-11.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$9.01 $9.01

2.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.12 $1.12

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.75 $3.75

2.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.26 $3.26

55.52%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$4.17 $4.17

16.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$12.90 $12.90

9.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$14.16 $14.16

3.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$16.22 $16.22

15.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.33 $4.33

19.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.46 $1.46

36.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.51 $4.51

-11.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.34 $4.34

14.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.58 $2.58

8.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.35 $2.35

12.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.78 $1.78

19.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.22 $2.22

39.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$9.88 $9.88

62.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$15.08 $15.08

0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.92 $2.92

-10.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.49 $1.49

65.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$41.72 $41.72

80.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.73 $2.73

17.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.66 $1.66

-16.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$35.30 $35.30

-29.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.95 $0.95

30.53%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

3.14%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-4.61%

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

$192 $192

$229 $229

-16.03%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$59.4 $59.4

14.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$69.9 $69.9

-12.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$57.2 $57.2

-6.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$16.33 $16.33

70.85%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$14.28 $14.28

24.65%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,506 $1,506

3.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

46.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$52.8 $52.8

28.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$43.82 $43.82

15.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$84.8 $84.8

19.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$103 $103

39.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,907 $1,907

24.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,274 $1,274

34.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$3,664 $3,664

27.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,538 $2,538

7.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$7,614 $7,614

-45.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$3,157 $3,157

-14.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$5,121 $5,121

-4.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.79

-0.29%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, 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%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 25.6% $438

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 10.3% $47

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 0.3% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 11.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 21.7% $36

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 38.3% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 3.8% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,383 in Chicago, IL and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 5% 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 $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:53 2:53 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

974,447

💱 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 Austin, TX 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, 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 Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Austin, 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 $1,907 in Austin, 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 $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 80% 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. Austin, 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 Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.