Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Roma, TX: $2,589 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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 Roma, TX
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Roma, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Roma, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,589 in Roma, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Roma, TX $2,589

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,801 in Roma, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Roma, TX $3,801

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,012 in Roma, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Roma, TX $5,012

Chicago, IL costs about 19% more than Roma, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Roma, TX sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Roma, TX by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$20.25 $20.25

0.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$74.6 $74.6

18.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$11.33 $11.33

13.42%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.23 $5.23

10.52%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.75 $2.75

-0.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.05 $2.05

10.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$6.02 $6.02

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.12 $7.12

29.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.01 $1.01

24.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.53 $3.53

0.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.26 $4.26

26.29%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.14 $4.14

9.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.56 $12.56

8.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$11.68 $11.68

20.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$17.01 $17.01

6.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.20 $5.20

-0.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.58 $1.58

25.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.21 $4.21

-7.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.73 $4.73

2.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.80 $2.80

0.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.86 $2.86

-6.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.19 $2.19

-5.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.31 $2.31

31.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$10.18 $10.18

36.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.84 $14.84

1.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.92 $1.92

36.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.38 $3.38

2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.97 $1.97

23.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$59.9 $59.9

25.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.36 $3.36

-5.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.77 $1.77

-3.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$26.25 $26.25

-5.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.02 $1.02

25.49%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.7K $27.7K

29.12%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

3.14%

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

$192 $192

$202 $202

-4.84%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$59.5 $59.5

17.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$70.2 $70.2

-11.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$39.95 $39.95

19.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

$19.94 $19.94

35.91%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$13.58 $13.58

31.30%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,371 $1,371

32.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$21.4K $21.4K

89.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$54.0 $54.0

22.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$41.21 $41.21

24.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$87.0 $87.0

18.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$115 $115

24.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,556 $1,556

62.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,256 $1,256

29.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,599 $2,599

85.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,067 $2,067

32.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,866 $2,866

45.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,372 $2,372

14.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$1,335 $1,335

268.70%

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 Roma, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Roma, TX

$1.3K 48.5% 22.5% $365

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Roma, TX

$399 15.4% 9.2% $40

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Roma, TX

$322 12.4% 6.3% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Roma, TX

$331 12.8% 2.4% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Roma, TX

$134 5.2% 18.3% $30

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Roma, TX

$80 3.1% 17.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Roma, TX

$67 2.6% 19.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,556 in Roma, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chicago, IL are about 3.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $75 in Roma, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $399 – making Roma, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Roma, TX

🕒 Local time

13:08 1:08 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

11,561

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Roma, TX 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,589 in Roma, TX – Roma, TX comes out roughly 16% 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 $3,884 in Roma, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Roma, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,556 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 10% 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 Roma, 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 $2,589 in Roma, TX. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Roma, 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 Roma, 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.