Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Caldwell, TX: $2,449 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Caldwell, TX
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Caldwell, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Caldwell, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,449

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,449 in Caldwell, TX.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Caldwell, TX $2,449

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,548 in Caldwell, TX.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Caldwell, TX $3,548

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $4,647 in Caldwell, TX.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Caldwell, TX $4,647

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 24% more expensive than in Caldwell, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Caldwell, TX 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$14.88 $14.88

39.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$60.4 $60.4

47.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.88 $9.88

33.50%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.97 $3.97

42.57%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.47 $1.47

79.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.73 $1.73

31.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.13 $5.13

33.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.05 $6.05

46.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.77 $0.77

62.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.71 $2.71

37.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.96 $3.96

36.11%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$2.92 $2.92

62.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.95 $10.95

26.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.64 $15.64

-7.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$24.53 $24.53

-25.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.39 $4.39

18.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.77 $1.77

11.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.44 $4.44

-8.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.66 $2.66

86.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.16 $2.16

23.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.73 $1.73

53.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.05 $2.05

9.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.98 $1.98

58.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.61 $9.61

43.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$10.68 $10.68

39.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.68 $1.68

51.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.56 $3.56

-1.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.96 $1.96

23.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$51.0 $51.0

44.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.33 $3.33

-4.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.65 $1.65

-15.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$26.34 $26.34

-4.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.94 $0.94

27.66%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.5K $26.5K

32.29%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.4K $25.4K

4.91%

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

$194 $194

$173 $173

12.25%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$25.30 $25.30

174.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$68.5 $68.5

-9.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$40.60 $40.60

17.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$9.85 $9.85

177.56%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.96 $14.96

19.05%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,521 $1,521

17.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$24.7K $24.7K

29.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$22.35 $22.35

199.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$56.1 $56.1

-7.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$64.9 $64.9

56.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$96.4 $96.4

49.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,565 $1,565

61.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,297 $1,297

21.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,531 $2,531

87.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,115 $2,115

27.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,784 $2,784

50.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,330 $2,330

18.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$1,333 $1,333

269.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.62

2.87%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Caldwell, TX: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Caldwell, TX

$1.3K 53% 17.8% $281

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Caldwell, TX

$389 15.9% 12.9% $58

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Caldwell, TX

$247 10.1% 28.4% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Caldwell, TX

$267 10.9% 18% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Caldwell, TX

$108 4.4% 34.2% $56

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Caldwell, TX

$70 2.9% 24.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Caldwell, TX

$71 2.9% 15.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,565 in Caldwell, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays about 3.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $60 in Caldwell, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $389 per month, with Caldwell, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Caldwell, TX

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

59,996

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Caldwell, TX 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Caldwell, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Caldwell, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Chicago, IL is about 3.7 times higher, 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 $1,565 in Caldwell, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Caldwell, TX – a meal for two runs $60 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,449 in Caldwell, TX – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

Expats usually find Caldwell, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.