Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Baytown, TX: $2,419 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Baytown, TX
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Baytown, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Baytown, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,419

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,419 in Baytown, TX.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Baytown, TX $2,419

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,058 in Baytown, TX.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Baytown, TX $3,058

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $3,697 in Baytown, TX.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Baytown, TX $3,697

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 26% more expensive than in Baytown, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Baytown, TX 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.36 $20.36

1.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$39.75 $39.75

124.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.09 $11.09

18.94%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.45 $5.45

3.85%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.20 $2.20

20.00%

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

$5.08 $5.08

35.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.65 $5.65

56.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.08 $1.08

15.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.37 $2.37

56.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.74 $5.74

-6.10%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.86 $3.86

22.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$8.49 $8.49

63.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$9.63 $9.63

49.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$21.40 $21.40

-14.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.33 $4.33

20.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.04 $1.04

90.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.59 $5.59

-27.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.53 $5.53

-10.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.84 $2.84

-5.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$5.49 $5.49

-51.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.28 $1.28

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.02 $2.02

54.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$5.92 $5.92

133.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$11.33 $11.33

31.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.64 $3.64

-30.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.08 $4.08

-13.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

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

$14.94 $14.94

67.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.92 $0.92

30.43%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$48.5K $48.5K

-27.81%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.9K $24.9K

7.27%

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

$194 $194

$203 $203

-4.25%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$40.58 $40.58

71.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$66.4 $66.4

-7.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$14.86 $14.86

222.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$8.94 $8.94

99.22%

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

$38.03 $38.03

76.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$19.67 $19.67

165.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$61.9 $61.9

64.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$64.3 $64.3

123.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,292 $1,292

95.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,293 $1,293

22.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,835 $1,835

158.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,367 $1,367

97.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,750 $3,750

31.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.71

1.49%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Baytown, TX: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Baytown, TX

$1.3K 53.4% 18.1% $286

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Baytown, TX

$386 16% 13.6% $61

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Baytown, TX

$315 13% 8.8% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Baytown, TX

$310 12.8% 4.8% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Baytown, TX

$83 3.4% 49.6% $81

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Baytown, TX

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Baytown, TX

$33 1.4% 60.8% $51

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 $1,292 in Baytown, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $40 in Baytown, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $386 per month, with Baytown, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Baytown, TX

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

75,418

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Baytown, TX 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

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

Average pay runs 31% 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 $1,292 in Baytown, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,419 in Baytown, TX – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Baytown, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Baytown, TX wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.