Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Fort Worth, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Worth, TX: $2,668 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Fort Worth, TX
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Fort Worth, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Fort Worth, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,668 in Fort Worth, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Fort Worth, TX $2,668

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,930 in Fort Worth, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Fort Worth, TX $3,930

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,191 in Fort Worth, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Fort Worth, TX $5,191

Chicago, IL costs about 14% more than Fort Worth, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Fort Worth, TX sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Fort Worth, TX by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.82 $17.82

16.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$52.2 $52.2

70.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.83 $11.83

11.50%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.25 $6.25

-9.44%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.90 $2.90

-8.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.43 $2.43

-6.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.55 $5.55

23.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.82 $7.82

13.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.87 $0.87

43.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.78 $3.78

-1.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.11 $5.11

5.48%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.68 $3.68

28.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.68 $10.68

29.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.29 $15.29

-5.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$20.57 $20.57

-10.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.33 $6.33

-17.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.84 $2.84

-30.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.23 $5.23

-22.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.60 $4.60

8.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.65 $2.65

0.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.45 $3.45

-22.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.27 $2.27

-1.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.49 $2.49

25.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.13 $10.13

36.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$21.30 $21.30

-30.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.12 $2.12

19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.37 $3.37

4.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.94 $1.94

25.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$76.8 $76.8

-4.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.92 $2.92

8.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.69 $1.69

-17.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$24.22 $24.22

3.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.00 $1.00

20.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$36.8K $36.8K

-4.75%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.59%

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

$194 $194

$207 $207

-5.93%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$92.8 $92.8

-25.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$85.1 $85.1

-27.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$51.1 $51.1

-6.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$20.17 $20.17

35.55%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.84 $14.84

20.01%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,937 $1,937

-7.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$27.6K $27.6K

15.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$59.8 $59.8

12.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$50.7 $50.7

2.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$123 $123

-17.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$135 $135

6.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,694 $1,694

49.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,165 $1,165

35.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,785 $2,785

70.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,023 $2,023

33.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,904 $3,904

7.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,872 $1,872

47.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,416 $4,416

11.66%

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 Fort Worth, TX: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Fort Worth, TX

$1.2K 43.7% 26.2% $413

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Fort Worth, TX

$458 17.2% 2.5% $11

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Fort Worth, TX

$318 11.9% 7.9% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Fort Worth, TX

$385 14.4% 18.1% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Fort Worth, TX

$166 6.2% 1.1% $1.7

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Fort Worth, TX

$96 3.6% 2.7% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Fort Worth, TX

$81 3% 3.3% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,694 in Fort Worth, 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 12% 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 $52 in Fort Worth, TX. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $458 in Fort Worth, TX – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Fort Worth, TX

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

996,756

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Fort Worth, TX 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,668 in Fort Worth, TX – Fort Worth, TX comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,002 in Fort Worth, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fort Worth, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,694 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $52 in Fort Worth, TX. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Chicago, IL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Fort Worth, TX, where all-in costs run around $2,668, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Fort Worth, 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 $2,668 in Fort Worth, TX to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Fort Worth, 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.