Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Texas City, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Texas City, TX: $1,949 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
93

Cost of Living Index in Texas City, TX
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Texas City, TX Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Texas City, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,949 in Texas City, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Texas City, TX $1,949

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,818 in Texas City, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Texas City, TX $2,818

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,688 in Texas City, TX, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Texas City, TX $3,688

Chicago, IL costs about 58% more than Texas City, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Texas City, TX sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Texas City, TX by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$18.03 $18.03

13.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$74.6 $74.6

18.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$9.98 $9.98

28.76%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.08 $4.08

41.67%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$1.27 $1.27

115.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.96 $1.96

15.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.99 $5.99

14.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$6.95 $6.95

32.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.69 $0.69

82.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.17 $2.17

63.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.49 $3.49

54.15%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$3.97 $3.97

14.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$4.53 $4.53

201.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$4.35 $4.35

223.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$6.51 $6.51

177.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.61 $4.61

11.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.46 $1.46

35.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.54 $4.54

-14.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.36 $4.36

10.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.59 $2.59

8.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.46 $2.46

8.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.79 $1.79

15.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.11 $2.11

43.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$10.11 $10.11

37.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.83 $14.83

1.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.88 $2.88

-8.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.31 $3.31

4.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.99 $0.99

145.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$40.74 $40.74

84.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.81 $2.81

12.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.65 $1.65

3.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$19.81 $19.81

25.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.77 $0.77

66.23%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$34.9K $34.9K

2.68%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.30%

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

$192 $192

$248 $248

-22.45%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$25.34 $25.34

174.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$70.6 $70.6

-11.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$15.20 $15.20

214.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$14.24 $14.24

25.21%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,223 $1,223

48.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$27.3K $27.3K

48.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$51.2 $51.2

29.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$46.50 $46.50

10.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$85.8 $85.8

20.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$106 $106

34.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,105 $1,105

128.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$815 $815

98.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$1,675 $1,675

188.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$1,265 $1,265

116.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$9,062 $9,062

-54.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$7,910 $7,910

-65.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$4,609 $4,609

6.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.53

3.83%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Texas City, 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%

Texas City, TX

$815 41.8% 49.7% $806

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Texas City, TX

$281 14.4% 36% $158

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Texas City, TX

$280 14.4% 18.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Texas City, TX

$344 17.6% 6.1% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Texas City, TX

$130 6.7% 20.3% $33

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Texas City, TX

$56 2.9% 42.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Texas City, TX

$44 2.2% 47.6% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,105 in Texas City, 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 7% 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 $75 in Texas City, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $281 – making Texas City, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Texas City, TX

🕒 Local time

10:21 10:21 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

45,099

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Texas City, TX 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $1,949 in Texas City, TX – Texas City, TX comes out roughly 37% 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 $2,923 in Texas City, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Texas City, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,105 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 56% 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 Texas City, TX. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Texas City, 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 Texas City, 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.