Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Texarkana, TX: $1,997 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Texarkana, TX
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Texarkana, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Texarkana, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,997 in Texarkana, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Texarkana, TX $1,997

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,898 in Texarkana, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Texarkana, TX $2,898

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,799 in Texarkana, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Texarkana, TX $3,799

Chicago, IL costs about 52% more than Texarkana, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Texarkana, TX sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Texarkana, TX by 47%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$18.14 $18.14

14.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$50.3 $50.3

77.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.83 $9.83

34.18%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.12 $6.12

-7.52%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.86 $2.86

-7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.44 $2.44

-6.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.45 $5.45

26.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.96 $7.96

11.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.62 $0.62

101.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.02 $3.02

23.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.04 $4.04

33.42%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.73 $3.73

27.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.00 $9.00

53.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$8.55 $8.55

68.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$12.20 $12.20

50.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.66 $3.66

42.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.32 $1.32

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$1.74 $1.74

133.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.71 $4.71

5.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.33 $1.33

100.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.42 $2.42

9.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.80 $1.80

24.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.64 $1.64

90.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.85 $9.85

40.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$20.68 $20.68

-28.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.00 $2.00

27.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.47 $1.47

138.78%

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

$3.02 $3.02

5.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.77 $1.77

-21.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$23.58 $23.58

6.15%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

-3.42%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.5K $26.5K

0.51%

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

$194 $194

$211 $211

-7.64%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$93.4 $93.4

-25.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$83.2 $83.2

-25.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$70.0 $70.0

-31.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$15.24 $15.24

16.86%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,909 $1,909

-6.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$27.6K $27.6K

15.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$60.0 $60.0

11.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$49.44 $49.44

5.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$123 $123

-17.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$130 $130

10.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$829 $829

204.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$702 $702

124.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,288 $1,288

267.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,135 $1,135

137.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,460 $1,460

186.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,413 $1,413

95.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,290 $3,290

49.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.62

2.87%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Texarkana, TX: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Texarkana, TX

$702 35.1% 55.5% $876

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Texarkana, TX

$321 16.1% 28.3% $127

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Texarkana, TX

$312 15.7% 9.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Texarkana, TX

$387 19.4% 18.9% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Texarkana, TX

$163 8.2% 0.7% $1.1

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Texarkana, TX

$12 * 0.6% 87.3% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Texarkana, TX

$100 5% 20.3% $17

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 $829 in Texarkana, 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 50% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $50 in Texarkana, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $321 – making Texarkana, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Texarkana, TX

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

36,193

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Texarkana, TX 1,100 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $1,997 in Texarkana, TX – Texarkana, TX comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,995 in Texarkana, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Texarkana, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $829 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $50 in Texarkana, TX. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Texarkana, TX, where all-in costs run around $1,997, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Texarkana, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,997 in Texarkana, TX to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Texarkana, 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.