Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lufkin, TX: $2,251 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Lufkin, TX
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Lufkin, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Lufkin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,251 in Lufkin, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Lufkin, TX $2,251

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,631 in Lufkin, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Lufkin, TX $3,631

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,011 in Lufkin, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Lufkin, TX $5,011

Chicago, IL costs about 35% more than Lufkin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Lufkin, TX sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Lufkin, TX by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.07 $20.07

3.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$77.6 $77.6

14.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.94 $9.94

32.70%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.49 $5.49

3.10%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.66 $2.66

-0.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.33 $2.33

-2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.99 $6.99

-1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.51 $7.51

17.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.00 $1.00

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.11 $3.11

19.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.97 $3.97

35.77%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.80 $5.80

-18.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$22.97 $22.97

-39.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.84 $11.84

21.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.63 $19.63

-6.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.60 $4.60

13.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.56 $1.56

26.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.74 $2.74

48.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.04 $3.04

63.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.77 $2.77

-3.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.51 $2.51

5.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.94 $1.94

15.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.96 $2.96

5.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.10 $10.10

36.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$20.13 $20.13

-26.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.69 $1.69

50.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.32 $3.32

5.72%

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

$58.7 $58.7

25.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.03 $3.03

4.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.92 $1.92

-27.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$27.47 $27.47

-8.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.92 $0.92

30.43%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.5K $27.5K

27.53%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

0.09%

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

$194 $194

$202 $202

-3.69%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$47.10 $47.10

47.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$56.1 $56.1

9.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$37.91 $37.91

26.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.96 $14.96

19.05%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,167 $1,167

53.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

19.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$60.6 $60.6

10.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$38.64 $38.64

34.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$84.7 $84.7

19.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$66.4 $66.4

116.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,152 $1,152

119.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$923 $923

70.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,553 $2,553

85.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,066 $2,066

30.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,093 $3,093

35.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,079 $2,079

33.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.51

4.61%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lufkin, TX: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Lufkin, TX

$923 41% 41.5% $655

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Lufkin, TX

$438 19.4% 2.2% $9.6

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Lufkin, TX

$326 14.5% 5.4% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Lufkin, TX

$305 13.6% 6.3% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Lufkin, TX

$113 5% 31.3% $51

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Lufkin, TX

$79 3.5% 15.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Lufkin, TX

$68 3% 18.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,152 in Lufkin, TX. 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 $89 in Chicago, IL versus $78 in Lufkin, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $438 – making Lufkin, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Lufkin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:08 5:08 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

36,085

💱 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 Lufkin, TX 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,251 in Lufkin, TX – Lufkin, TX comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,377 in Lufkin, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lufkin, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,152 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $78 in Lufkin, TX. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Lufkin, TX. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,251 in Lufkin, TX. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lufkin, TX – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.