Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bryan, TX: $2,650 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Bryan, TX
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Bryan, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Bryan, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL versus $2,650 in Bryan, TX.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Bryan, TX $2,650

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,545 in Chicago, IL versus $3,867 in Bryan, TX.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Bryan, TX $3,867

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,019 in Chicago, IL versus $5,085 in Bryan, TX.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Bryan, TX $5,085

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 16% more expensive than in Bryan, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 127% above, Bryan, TX 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$18.65 $18.65

9.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$74.6 $74.6

18.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$10.85 $10.85

18.43%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.94 $4.94

17.00%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.58 $2.58

6.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.95 $1.95

15.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$6.02 $6.02

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$6.96 $6.96

32.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.04 $1.04

21.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.44 $3.44

3.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.41 $4.41

22.00%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.24 $4.24

7.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.05 $12.05

13.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$11.53 $11.53

22.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$15.42 $15.42

17.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.93 $4.93

4.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.61 $1.61

22.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.32 $4.32

-10.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.77 $4.77

1.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.83 $2.83

-0.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.89 $2.89

-7.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.03 $2.03

1.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.08 $2.08

45.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$9.49 $9.49

46.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.02 $14.02

7.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.85 $1.85

42.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.27 $3.27

5.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.97 $1.97

23.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$59.6 $59.6

26.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.53 $3.53

-10.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.64 $1.64

3.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$28.96 $28.96

-14.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.91 $0.91

40.66%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$29.1K $29.1K

23.09%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.34%

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

$192 $192

$191 $191

0.40%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$52.4 $52.4

32.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$67.9 $67.9

-8.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$43.72 $43.72

9.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$13.63 $13.63

30.81%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,316 $1,316

37.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$23.9K $23.9K

70.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$51.0 $51.0

29.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$39.43 $39.43

30.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$86.9 $86.9

18.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$111 $111

28.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,572 $1,572

61.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,369 $1,369

18.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,612 $2,612

84.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,257 $2,257

21.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,731 $2,731

52.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,402 $2,402

13.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.51

4.15%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Bryan, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Bryan, TX

$1.4K 51.7% 15.6% $252

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Bryan, TX

$386 14.6% 12.1% $53

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Bryan, TX

$303 11.4% 11.9% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Bryan, TX

$312 11.8% 3.8% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Bryan, TX

$130 4.9% 20.6% $34

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Bryan, TX

$79 3% 18.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Bryan, TX

$71 2.7% 14.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,531 in Chicago, IL and $1,572 in Bryan, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $75 in Bryan, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $386 per month, with Bryan, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bryan, TX

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

83,980

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Bryan, TX 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Bryan, TX is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,608 in Chicago, IL and $3,975 in Bryan, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,572 in Bryan, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,815 in Chicago, IL versus $1,316 in Bryan, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Bryan, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Bryan, TX is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chicago, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Bryan, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.