Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Harlingen, TX: $1,864 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Harlingen, TX
Learn more

Harlingen, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Harlingen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,864 in Harlingen, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Harlingen, TX $1,864

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,525 in Harlingen, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Harlingen, TX $2,525

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,187 in Harlingen, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Harlingen, TX $3,187

Chicago, IL costs about 63% more than Harlingen, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Harlingen, TX sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Harlingen, TX by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$12.35 $12.35

67.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$47.75 $47.75

86.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$8.06 $8.06

63.65%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.40 $4.40

28.64%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.98 $1.98

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.01 $2.01

13.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.89 $4.89

40.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$4.58 $4.58

93.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.97 $0.97

28.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.96 $2.96

25.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.58 $4.58

17.69%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.48 $3.48

36.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.91 $9.91

39.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.63 $12.63

14.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.03 $15.03

22.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.00 $5.00

4.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.32 $1.32

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.30 $3.30

23.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.08 $2.08

138.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.03 $3.03

-11.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.80 $1.80

24.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.11 $2.11

48.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.79 $9.79

41.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.85 $15.85

-6.12%

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

$2.28 $2.28

53.95%

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

$4.17 $4.17

-23.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.78 $0.78

78.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.84 $0.84

42.86%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.4K $29.4K

19.34%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.5K $24.5K

8.72%

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

$194 $194

$163 $163

19.11%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$36.82 $36.82

88.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$49.96 $49.96

23.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.10 $12.10

47.19%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$779 $779

130.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$77.8 $77.8

-13.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$44.87 $44.87

16.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$75.6 $75.6

34.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$94.2 $94.2

52.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$840 $840

200.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$865 $865

82.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,375 $1,375

244.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,038 $1,038

159.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,900 $1,900

120.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,892 $1,892

46.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,073 $4,073

21.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.48

5.09%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Harlingen, TX: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Harlingen, TX

$865 46.4% 45.2% $713

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Harlingen, TX

$360 19.3% 19.6% $88

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Harlingen, TX

$225 12.1% 34.7% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Harlingen, TX

$250 13.4% 23.2% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Harlingen, TX

$132 7.1% 19.8% $32

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Harlingen, TX

$8 * 0.4% 91.4% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Harlingen, TX

$24 * 1.3% 71% $59

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 $840 in Harlingen, 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 21% 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 $48 in Harlingen, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $360 – making Harlingen, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Harlingen, TX

🕒 Local time

03:22 3:22 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

71,829

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Harlingen, TX 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $1,864 in Harlingen, TX – Harlingen, TX comes out roughly 39% 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 $2,796 in Harlingen, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Harlingen, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $840 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $48 in Harlingen, TX. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

Families tend to lean toward Harlingen, 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 Harlingen, 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.