Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Greenville, TX: $2,313 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Greenville, TX
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Greenville, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Greenville, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,313

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,313 in Greenville, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Greenville, TX $2,313

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,295 in Greenville, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Greenville, TX $3,295

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,277 in Greenville, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Greenville, TX $4,277

Chicago, IL costs about 31% more than Greenville, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Greenville, TX sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Greenville, TX by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$18.25 $18.25

13.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$53.3 $53.3

67.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.04 $12.04

9.55%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.09 $6.09

-7.06%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.25 $1.25

111.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.36 $2.36

-3.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.37 $5.37

27.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.06 $8.06

9.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.88 $0.88

42.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.96 $3.96

-6.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.28 $5.28

2.08%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.56 $3.56

33.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.03 $11.03

25.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.80 $14.80

-2.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$20.28 $20.28

-9.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.53 $6.53

-20.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.78 $2.78

-28.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.25 $5.25

-22.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.78 $4.78

3.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.65 $2.65

0.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.47 $3.47

-23.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.32 $2.32

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.48 $2.48

26.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.19 $10.19

35.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$21.40 $21.40

-30.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.03 $2.03

25.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.20 $3.20

9.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.06 $3.06

3.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.78 $1.78

-21.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$24.26 $24.26

3.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.88 $0.88

36.36%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$35.8K $35.8K

-2.20%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.7K $25.7K

3.84%

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

$194 $194

$209 $209

-6.96%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$91.6 $91.6

-24.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$85.4 $85.4

-27.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$59.0 $59.0

-18.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$8.01 $8.01

122.35%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,876 $1,876

-4.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$28.1K $28.1K

13.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$61.7 $61.7

8.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$50.9 $50.9

2.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

-0.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$131 $131

9.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,101 $1,101

129.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$913 $913

72.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,523 $1,523

211.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,334 $1,334

101.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$2,016 $2,016

144.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.5

4.77%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Greenville, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Greenville, TX

$913 39.5% 42.1% $665

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Greenville, TX

$459 19.8% 2.6% $12

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Greenville, TX

$313 13.5% 9.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Greenville, TX

$386 16.7% 18.6% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Greenville, TX

$156 6.7% 5.2% $8.5

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Greenville, TX

$12 * 0.5% 87.2% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Greenville, TX

$75 3.2% 10.1% $8.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,101 in Greenville, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chicago, IL are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $53 in Greenville, TX. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $459 in Greenville, TX – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Greenville, TX

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

70,720

💱 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 Greenville, TX 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,313 in Greenville, TX – Greenville, TX comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,470 in Greenville, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Greenville, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,101 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $53 in Greenville, TX. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,313 in Greenville, TX. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,313 in Greenville, TX to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Greenville, 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.