Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Mineral Wells, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Mineral Wells, TX: $2,619 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Mineral Wells, TX
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Mineral Wells, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Mineral Wells, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,619 in Mineral Wells, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Mineral Wells, TX $2,619

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,753 in Mineral Wells, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Mineral Wells, TX $3,753

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,886 in Mineral Wells, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Mineral Wells, TX $4,886

Chicago, IL costs about 17% more than Mineral Wells, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Mineral Wells, TX sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Mineral Wells, TX by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$20.19 $20.19

0.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$75.0 $75.0

18.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$11.60 $11.60

10.78%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.32 $5.32

8.65%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.72 $2.72

0.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.94 $1.94

16.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.86 $5.86

17.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$8.07 $8.07

14.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.04 $1.04

21.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.66 $3.66

-3.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.63 $4.63

16.20%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.21 $4.21

8.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.70 $12.70

7.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$11.74 $11.74

19.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$17.39 $17.39

3.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.10 $5.10

1.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.79 $1.79

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.59 $4.59

-15.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.56 $4.56

5.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.91 $2.91

-3.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.00 $3.00

-11.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.85 $1.85

11.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.22 $2.22

36.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$10.14 $10.14

37.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.67 $13.67

10.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.25 $2.25

16.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.95 $2.95

16.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.87 $1.87

29.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$62.6 $62.6

20.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.39 $3.39

-6.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.83 $1.83

-7.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$30.24 $30.24

-17.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.91 $0.91

40.66%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$29.2K $29.2K

22.38%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.0K $27.0K

-0.83%

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

$192 $192

$198 $198

-3.17%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$57.4 $57.4

21.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$68.9 $68.9

-9.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$43.74 $43.74

9.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$14.29 $14.29

24.77%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,489 $1,489

21.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$22.0K $22.0K

84.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$52.3 $52.3

26.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$42.02 $42.02

22.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$92.1 $92.1

12.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$115 $115

24.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,580 $1,580

60.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,278 $1,278

26.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,720 $2,720

77.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$1,934 $1,934

41.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,645 $2,645

57.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,051 $2,051

32.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.59

2.88%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Mineral Wells, TX: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Mineral Wells, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 21.2% $343

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Mineral Wells, TX

$402 15.4% 8.5% $37

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Mineral Wells, TX

$324 12.4% 5.7% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Mineral Wells, TX

$325 12.4% 0.2% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Mineral Wells, TX

$135 5.2% 17.2% $28

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Mineral Wells, TX

$83 3.2% 14.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Mineral Wells, TX

$72 2.8% 13.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,580 in Mineral Wells, 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 $75 in Mineral Wells, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $402 – making Mineral Wells, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Mineral Wells, TX

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

16,788

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Mineral Wells, TX 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,619 in Mineral Wells, TX – Mineral Wells, TX comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,929 in Mineral Wells, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mineral Wells, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,580 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $75 in Mineral Wells, TX. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,619 in Mineral Wells, TX. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Mineral Wells, TX is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 15% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.