Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Granbury, TX: $2,575 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Granbury, TX
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Granbury, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Granbury, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,575

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,575 in Granbury, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Granbury, TX $2,575

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,674 in Granbury, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Granbury, TX $3,674

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,774 in Granbury, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Granbury, TX $4,774

Chicago, IL costs about 18% more than Granbury, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Granbury, TX sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Granbury, TX by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.63 $19.63

5.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$49.68 $49.68

79.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.05 $11.05

19.37%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.19 $5.19

9.06%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.51 $2.51

5.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.05 $2.05

11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.08 $8.08

-14.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.20 $9.20

-3.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.87 $0.87

43.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.53 $3.53

5.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.30 $3.30

63.33%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$2.87 $2.87

65.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.05 $10.05

37.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.28 $14.28

0.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.42 $16.42

11.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.32 $3.32

57.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.14 $1.14

73.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.23 $3.23

25.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.14 $4.14

20.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.01 $2.01

32.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.37 $2.37

12.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.66 $1.66

34.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.79 $1.79

74.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$6.66 $6.66

107.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.97 $14.97

-0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.09 $2.09

21.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.02 $2.02

73.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.84 $1.84

32.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$68.3 $68.3

7.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.82 $2.82

12.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.63 $1.63

-14.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$34.68 $34.68

-27.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.96 $0.96

25.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$34.5K $34.5K

1.63%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.73%

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

$194 $194

$211 $211

-7.82%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$57.5 $57.5

20.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$40.38 $40.38

52.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$39.55 $39.55

21.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.15 $11.15

59.73%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$786 $786

128.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$21.0K $21.0K

52.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$50.5 $50.5

32.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$42.46 $42.46

22.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$80.3 $80.3

26.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$103 $103

39.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,467 $1,467

72.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,303 $1,303

21.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,492 $2,492

90.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,099 $2,099

28.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,785 $2,785

50.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,271 $2,271

21.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,682 $3,682

33.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.79

0.29%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Granbury, TX: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Granbury, TX

$1.3K 50.6% 17.4% $275

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Granbury, TX

$360 14% 19.5% $87

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Granbury, TX

$330 12.8% 4.5% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Granbury, TX

$309 12% 5.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Granbury, TX

$124 4.8% 24.2% $40

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Granbury, TX

$87 3.4% 7.2% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Granbury, TX

$62 2.4% 26% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,467 in Granbury, 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 34% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $50 in Granbury, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $360 – making Granbury, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Granbury, TX

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

11,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Granbury, TX 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,575 in Granbury, TX – Granbury, TX comes out roughly 15% 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 $3,862 in Granbury, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Granbury, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,467 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $50 in Granbury, TX. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,575 in Granbury, TX. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Granbury, 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 Granbury, 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.