Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Taylor, TX: $2,422 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Taylor, TX
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Taylor, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Taylor, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,422

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,422 in Taylor, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Taylor, TX $2,422

A couple spends around $4,535 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,453 in Taylor, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,535
Taylor, TX $3,453

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,484 in Taylor, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Taylor, TX $4,484

Chicago, IL costs about 27% more than Taylor, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Taylor, TX sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 126%, Taylor, TX by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$19.71 $19.71

3.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$75.6 $75.6

17.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$11.44 $11.44

12.33%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.44 $5.44

6.25%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.59 $2.59

5.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.02 $2.02

11.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$6.10 $6.10

12.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.43 $7.43

24.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.07 $1.07

17.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.64 $3.64

-2.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.30 $4.30

25.12%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.26 $4.26

6.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.26 $12.26

11.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$11.64 $11.64

20.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$16.82 $16.82

7.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.95 $4.95

4.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.67 $1.67

18.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.26 $4.26

-8.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.61 $4.61

4.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.80 $2.80

0.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.91 $2.91

-8.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.22 $2.22

-6.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.20 $2.20

37.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$8.58 $8.58

62.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.89 $14.89

1.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.94 $1.94

35.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.33 $3.33

3.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.95 $1.95

24.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$56.1 $56.1

34.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.38 $3.38

-6.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.76 $1.76

-3.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$26.45 $26.45

-5.86%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

29.76%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.40%

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

$192 $192

$202 $202

-4.73%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$59.0 $59.0

18.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$70.6 $70.6

-11.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$39.58 $39.58

20.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$13.98 $13.98

27.54%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,354 $1,354

33.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$21.3K $21.3K

90.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$52.3 $52.3

26.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$41.61 $41.61

23.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$88.2 $88.2

17.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$112 $112

26.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,228 $1,228

106.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,096 $1,096

47.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$1,750 $1,750

175.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$1,570 $1,570

74.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$2,836 $2,836

46.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,335 $2,335

16.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$2,447 $2,447

101.19%

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 Taylor, 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%

Taylor, TX

$1.1K 45.3% 32.4% $525

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Taylor, TX

$397 16.4% 9.5% $42

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Taylor, TX

$321 13.3% 6.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Taylor, TX

$331 13.7% 2.3% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Taylor, TX

$133 5.5% 19% $31

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Taylor, TX

$76 3.1% 21.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Taylor, TX

$68 2.8% 19.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,228 in Taylor, 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 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $76 in Taylor, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $397 – making Taylor, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Taylor, TX

🕒 Local time

05:24 5:24 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

64,240

💱 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 Taylor, TX 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,422 in Taylor, TX – Taylor, TX comes out roughly 21% 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 $3,633 in Taylor, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taylor, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,228 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $76 in Taylor, TX. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,422 in Taylor, TX. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Taylor, 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 Taylor, 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.