Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Plaines, IL and San Marcos, TX Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Plaines, IL and San Marcos, TX

😐 Solo nomad: Des Plaines, IL is 8.6% more expensive than San Marcos, TX without rent, and 0.1% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Des Plaines, IL is 3.3% more expensive than San Marcos, TX without rent, and 2.8% cheaper with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.84 $14.84

$19.24 $19.24

-22.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$69.8 $69.8

16.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 $10.91

$9.82 $9.82

11.10%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.74 $4.74

15.40%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$2.86 $2.86

-4.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.18 $2.18

6.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 $5.92

$6.1 $6.1

-2.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$7.16 $7.16

0.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.95 $0.95

-8.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.03 $3.03

31.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.43 $3.43

48.40%

Eggs

$4.01 $4.01

$3.84 $3.84

4.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 $13.81

$9.64 $9.64

43.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.53 $13.53

$12.24 $12.24

10.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.24 $16.24

$17.02 $17.02

-4.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.08 $4.08

7.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.23 $1.23

35.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.2 $4.2

$4.03 $4.03

4.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$2.49 $2.49

83.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.87 $2.87

-11.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.28 $2.28

19.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.85 $1.85

9.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.18 $2.18

-5.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.7 $14.7

$7.89 $7.89

86.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.3 $2.3

$2.01 $2.01

14.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.75 $3.75

-0.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.95 $1.95

1.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.92 $3.92

11.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.87 $1.87

-22.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.7 $24.7

$29.57 $29.57

-16.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.77 $0.77

41.56%

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

$25K $25K

$32.3K $32.3K

-22.53%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.17%

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

$187 $187

$192 $192

-2.74%

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

$51.4 $51.4

$62.4 $62.4

-17.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 $67.4

$66.4 $66.4

1.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.76 $42.76

$67.7 $67.7

-36.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.19 $40.19

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 $14.78

$15.15 $15.15

-2.44%

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

$1,616 $1,616

$661 $661

144.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$19.2K $19.2K

26.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 $64.1

$46.5 $46.5

37.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.05 $48.05

$45.01 $45.01

6.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 $95.8

$98.8 $98.8

-3.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$122 $122

9.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 $1,598

$1,344 $1,344

18.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 $1,341

$1,389 $1,389

-3.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 $2,622

$2,973 $2,973

-11.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,228 $2,228

$2,424 $2,424

-8.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,167 $3,167

$2,377 $2,377

33.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,466 $2,466

$1,863 $1,863

32.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,159 $6,159

$3,177 $3,177

93.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.44

2.48%

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

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 28, 2025

Last update for San Marcos, TX: October 28, 2025

Similar cities

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

Vienna

🇦🇹 Austria

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia