Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Eagle Pass, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Eagle Pass, TX: $2,536 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Eagle Pass, TX
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Eagle Pass, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Eagle Pass, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,536 in Eagle Pass, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Eagle Pass, TX $2,536

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,695 in Eagle Pass, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Eagle Pass, TX $3,695

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,854 in Eagle Pass, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Eagle Pass, TX $4,854

Chicago, IL costs about 24% more than Eagle Pass, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Eagle Pass, TX sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Eagle Pass, TX by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$20.27 $20.27

1.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$66.7 $66.7

35.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.23 $11.23

15.23%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.68 $4.68

19.66%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.87 $2.87

-8.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.88 $1.88

20.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.39 $5.39

29.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$6.41 $6.41

37.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.04 $1.04

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.60 $3.60

5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.23 $4.23

25.30%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.26 $4.26

11.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$10.91 $10.91

27.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.74 $11.74

24.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$15.35 $15.35

22.28%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.96 $4.96

4.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.81 $1.81

9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.38 $4.38

-10.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.67 $4.67

6.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.19 $3.19

-13.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.02 $3.02

-8.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.17 $2.17

2.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.20 $2.20

35.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.90 $10.90

28.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.94 $14.94

2.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.97 $1.97

30.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.00 $3.00

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.75 $1.75

41.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.11 $3.11

7.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.88 $1.88

-23.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$32.02 $32.02

-24.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.92 $0.92

36.96%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.2K $30.2K

16.00%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.6K $25.6K

2.01%

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

$193 $193

$192 $192

0.34%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$58.3 $58.3

17.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$71.4 $71.4

-14.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$41.55 $41.55

30.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$15.71 $15.71

12.92%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,211 $1,211

36.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$25.2K $25.2K

23.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$53.5 $53.5

23.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$41.10 $41.10

24.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$88.2 $88.2

13.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$115 $115

23.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,400 $1,400

74.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,286 $1,286

30.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,235 $2,235

111.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,129 $2,129

31.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,444 $2,444

67.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,237 $2,237

18.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.57

3.65%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Eagle Pass, TX: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Eagle Pass, TX

$1.3K 50.7% 23.3% $392

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Eagle Pass, TX

$391 15.4% 13% $59

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Eagle Pass, TX

$311 12.3% 9.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Eagle Pass, TX

$322 12.7% 0.2% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Eagle Pass, TX

$134 5.3% 17% $27

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Eagle Pass, TX

$20 * 0.8% 79.5% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Eagle Pass, TX

$73 2.9% 18.5% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,400 in Eagle Pass, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $67.0 in Eagle Pass, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $391 – making Eagle Pass, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Eagle Pass, TX

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

28,130

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Eagle Pass, TX 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,536 in Eagle Pass, TX – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,804 in Eagle Pass, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Eagle Pass, TX, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $67.0 in Eagle Pass, TX. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Eagle Pass, TX, where all-in costs run around $2,536, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Eagle Pass, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,536 in Eagle Pass, TX to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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