Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Houma, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Houma, LA: $2,071 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 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
99

Cost of Living Index in Houma, LA
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Houma, LA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Houma, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,071

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Houma, LA

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 Houma, LA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,071 in Houma, LA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Houma, LA $2,071

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,003 in Houma, LA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Houma, LA $3,003

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,936 in Houma, LA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Houma, LA $3,936

Chicago, IL costs about 47% more than Houma, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Houma, LA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Houma, LA by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.83 $19.83

4.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$49.72 $49.72

79.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.16 $12.16

8.47%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.37 $5.37

5.40%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.14 $2.14

23.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.65 $1.65

38.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$3.09 $3.09

122.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$4.93 $4.93

79.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.13 $1.13

10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.92 $3.92

-5.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.10 $5.10

5.69%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$1.72 $1.72

175.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.23 $10.23

35.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.26 $10.26

40.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.25 $15.25

20.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.28 $5.28

-1.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.29 $1.29

53.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.31 $5.31

-23.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.03 $4.03

23.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.06 $2.06

29.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.14 $3.14

-15.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.95 $1.95

14.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.54 $2.54

23.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.64 $8.64

59.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.87 $12.87

15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.48 $2.48

2.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.83 $3.83

-8.36%

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

$3.45 $3.45

-7.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.45 $1.45

-4.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$34.46 $34.46

-27.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.89 $0.89

34.83%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$33.0K $33.0K

6.13%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.37%

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

$194 $194

$151 $151

28.86%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$72.1 $72.1

-3.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$47.11 $47.11

30.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$27.18 $27.18

76.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.32 $12.32

44.56%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,553 $1,553

15.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$10.4K $10.4K

206.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$56.2 $56.2

19.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$43.54 $43.54

19.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$85.4 $85.4

18.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$120 $120

19.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,043 $1,043

142.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$924 $924

70.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,564 $1,564

202.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,448 $1,448

86.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,438 $1,438

191.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,483 $1,483

86.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,802 $3,802

29.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

70.25%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Houma, LA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Houma, LA

$924 44.6% 41.5% $654

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Houma, LA

$378 18.2% 15.6% $70

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Houma, LA

$300 14.5% 13% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Houma, LA

$270 13% 17% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Houma, LA

$137 6.6% 16.2% $27

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Houma, LA

$11 * 0.5% 88.5% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Houma, LA

$52 2.5% 38% $32

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 $1,043 in Houma, LA. 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 30% 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 $50 in Houma, LA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $378 – making Houma, LA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Houma, LA

🕒 Local time

13:43 1:43 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

32,657

💱 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 Houma, LA 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Houma, LA

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 Houma, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,071 in Houma, LA – roughly 47% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,107 in Houma, LA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Houma, LA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,043 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

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

Groceries cost about 18% 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Houma, LA, where all-in costs run around $2,071, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Houma, LA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Houma, LA – 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 Houma, LA. 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.