Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Houston, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Houston, MO: $2,698 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in Houston, MO
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Houston, MO Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Houston, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Houston, MO

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 Houston, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,698 in Houston, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Houston, MO $2,698

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,946 in Houston, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Houston, MO $3,946

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,195 in Houston, MO, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Houston, MO $5,195

Chicago, IL costs about 16% more than Houston, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Houston, MO sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Houston, MO by 99%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$17.96 $17.96

14.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$78.0 $78.0

15.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.87 $11.87

9.01%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.20 $5.20

7.69%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.35 $2.35

12.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.69 $1.69

34.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.59 $5.59

24.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.20 $7.20

22.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.24 $1.24

2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.75 $3.75

1.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.62 $5.62

-5.69%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.05 $4.05

17.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$13.42 $13.42

4.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$15.45 $15.45

-5.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$20.46 $20.46

-8.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$8.25 $8.25

-37.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.40 $2.40

-17.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$5.69 $5.69

-30.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.35 $5.35

-7.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$4.19 $4.19

-34.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$4.98 $4.98

-44.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.77 $2.77

-19.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.85 $2.85

4.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$8.25 $8.25

69.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.94 $14.94

2.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.90 $2.90

-11.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.28 $3.28

6.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.90 $1.90

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.55 $3.55

-5.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.57 $1.57

-8.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$40.60 $40.60

-40.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.93 $0.93

35.48%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.3K $28.3K

23.85%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.7K $25.7K

1.64%

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

$193 $193

$239 $239

-19.46%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$69.9 $69.9

-2.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$76.3 $76.3

-19.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$44.69 $44.69

21.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$13.96 $13.96

27.08%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,406 $1,406

17.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$23.4K $23.4K

32.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$58.8 $58.8

12.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.65 $40.65

26.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$89.9 $89.9

11.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$119 $119

17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,361 $1,361

79.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,290 $1,290

30.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,511 $2,511

87.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,115 $2,115

32.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,461 $2,461

66.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,601 $2,601

1.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.72

1.34%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Houston, MO: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Houston, MO

$1.3K 47.8% 23.1% $388

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Houston, MO

$491 18.2% 9.3% $42

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Houston, MO

$300 11.1% 12.6% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Houston, MO

$386 14.3% 19.6% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Houston, MO

$139 5.2% 13.8% $22

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Houston, MO

$19 * 0.7% 80% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Houston, MO

$73 2.7% 19% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,361 in Houston, MO. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $78.0 in Houston, MO. Groceries tell a different story – $449 in Chicago, IL vs $491 in Houston, MO – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Houston, MO

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

2,304,580

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Houston, MO 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Houston, MO

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 Houston, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,698 in Houston, MO – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,047 in Houston, MO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Houston, MO, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $78.0 in Houston, MO. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,698 in Houston, MO. 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 $2,698 in Houston, MO to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Houston, MO. 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.