Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Sugar Land, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Sugar Land, TX: $2,235 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Sugar Land, TX
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Sugar Land, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Sugar Land, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,235 in Sugar Land, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Sugar Land, TX $2,235

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,321 in Sugar Land, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Sugar Land, TX $3,321

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,407 in Sugar Land, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Sugar Land, TX $4,407

Chicago, IL costs about 36% more than Sugar Land, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Sugar Land, TX sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Sugar Land, TX by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.18 $20.18

2.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$75.3 $75.3

18.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.04 $11.04

19.47%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.40 $5.40

4.81%

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

$2.64 $2.64

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

$5.82 $5.82

18.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.93 $7.93

11.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.11 $1.11

12.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.24 $3.24

14.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.19 $3.19

68.97%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.97 $3.97

19.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$11.48 $11.48

20.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.67 $12.67

13.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.99 $15.99

14.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.63 $4.63

12.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.40 $1.40

41.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.97 $2.97

36.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.88 $3.88

28.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.10 $2.10

27.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.28 $2.28

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.75 $1.75

28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.15 $2.15

45.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.16 $10.16

36.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.34 $14.34

3.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.55 $2.55

-0.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.97 $2.97

18.18%

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

$2.83 $2.83

12.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.41 $1.41

-1.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$23.88 $23.88

4.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.91 $0.91

31.87%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$34.7K $34.7K

1.12%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.70%

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

$194 $194

$199 $199

-2.12%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$57.5 $57.5

20.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$70.5 $70.5

-12.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$39.85 $39.85

20.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.15 $14.15

25.87%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,466 $1,466

22.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

48.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$49.52 $49.52

35.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$42.75 $42.75

21.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$85.1 $85.1

19.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$94.0 $94.0

52.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,366 $1,366

84.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,013 $1,013

55.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,036 $2,036

132.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,714 $1,714

57.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,830 $1,830

128.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,829 $1,829

51.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$7,209 $7,209

-31.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.7

1.64%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sugar Land, TX: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Sugar Land, TX

$1K 45.3% 35.8% $565

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Sugar Land, TX

$372 16.6% 16.9% $76

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Sugar Land, TX

$324 14.5% 6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Sugar Land, TX

$327 14.6% 0.3% $1

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Sugar Land, TX

$122 5.5% 25.5% $42

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Sugar Land, TX

$9.9 * 0.4% 89.4% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Sugar Land, TX

$68 3.1% 18.4% $15

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 $1,366 in Sugar Land, TX. 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 46% higher in Sugar Land, TX, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $75 in Sugar Land, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $372 – making Sugar Land, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Sugar Land, TX

🕒 Local time

03:05 3:05 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

79,943

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Sugar Land, TX 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,235 in Sugar Land, TX – Sugar Land, TX comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,353 in Sugar Land, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sugar Land, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,366 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

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

Groceries cost about 20% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Sugar Land, TX, where all-in costs run around $2,235, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Sugar Land, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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