Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Brownsville, TX: $1,752 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Brownsville, TX
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Brownsville, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Brownsville, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,752

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,752 in Brownsville, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Brownsville, TX $1,752

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,612 in Brownsville, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Brownsville, TX $2,612

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,472 in Brownsville, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Brownsville, TX $3,472

Chicago, IL costs about 73% more than Brownsville, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Brownsville, TX sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Brownsville, TX by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$10.13 $10.13

104.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$59.9 $59.9

49.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$7.95 $7.95

65.91%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.03 $4.03

40.45%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.03 $2.03

30.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.01 $2.01

13.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.05 $5.05

36.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.10 $5.10

73.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.85 $0.85

47.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.24 $2.24

66.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.22 $2.22

142.79%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$2.83 $2.83

67.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.32 $9.32

48.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.84 $12.84

12.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$9.11 $9.11

101.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.61 $2.61

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.29 $2.29

-13.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$1.67 $1.67

143.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$1.98 $1.98

151.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.90 $2.90

-7.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.07 $1.07

148.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.01 $1.01

121.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.02 $1.02

206.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.57 $9.57

44.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$7.35 $7.35

102.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.05 $2.05

23.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.23 $2.23

57.40%

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

$4.15 $4.15

-23.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.77 $0.77

80.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.86 $0.86

39.53%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.9K $28.9K

21.18%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.3K $24.3K

9.65%

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

$194 $194

$162 $162

20.29%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$37.04 $37.04

87.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$67.4 $67.4

-8.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$49.89 $49.89

-3.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.78 $11.78

51.19%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$595 $595

201.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$78.7 $78.7

-14.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$44.47 $44.47

17.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$75.8 $75.8

34.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$96.5 $96.5

48.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$944 $944

167.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$796 $796

98.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,656 $1,656

186.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,384 $1,384

94.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,860 $1,860

125.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,856 $1,856

49.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,159 $3,159

56.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.48

5.09%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brownsville, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Brownsville, TX

$796 45.5% 49.6% $782

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Brownsville, TX

$271 15.4% 39.5% $177

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Brownsville, TX

$205 11.7% 40.6% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Brownsville, TX

$266 15.2% 18.3% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Brownsville, TX

$133 7.6% 18.9% $31

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Brownsville, TX

$8 * 0.5% 91.4% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Brownsville, TX

$73 4.2% 12.1% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $944 in Brownsville, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 56% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $60 in Brownsville, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $271 – making Brownsville, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Brownsville, TX

🕒 Local time

10:00 10:00 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

186,738

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Brownsville, TX 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $1,752 in Brownsville, TX – Brownsville, TX comes out roughly 42% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,628 in Brownsville, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brownsville, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $944 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $1,752 in Brownsville, TX. That makes Brownsville, TX about 42% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,794 per month in Chicago, IL and $595 in Brownsville, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Brownsville, TX, where all-in costs run around $1,752, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Brownsville, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Brownsville, TX – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Brownsville, TX. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.