Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Marcos, TX: $2,361 a month against $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
Learn more

Des Plaines, IL Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in San Marcos, TX
Learn more

San Marcos, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,023

/mo nomad

San Marcos, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Des Plaines, IL and in San Marcos, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Des Plaines, IL and in San Marcos, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL versus $2,361 in San Marcos, TX.

Des Plaines, IL $3,023
San Marcos, TX $2,361

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,419 in Des Plaines, IL versus $3,510 in San Marcos, TX.

Des Plaines, IL $4,419
San Marcos, TX $3,510

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,815 in Des Plaines, IL versus $4,658 in San Marcos, TX.

Des Plaines, IL $5,815
San Marcos, TX $4,658

Living in Des Plaines, IL is roughly 28% more expensive than in San Marcos, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Des Plaines, IL 124% above, San Marcos, TX 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.29 $21.29

$14.98 $14.98

42.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 $89.1

$60.5 $60.5

47.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.10 $13.10

$11.80 $11.80

11.02%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$4.72 $4.72

20.34%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$2.90 $2.90

-10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.73 $1.73

29.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 $7.05

$5.12 $5.12

37.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$6.11 $6.11

34.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.76 $0.76

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.20 $3.20

6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.74 $3.74

12.30%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$2.77 $2.77

52.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.74 $14.74

$10.06 $10.06

46.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 $13.04

$9.81 $9.81

32.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.82 $18.82

$12.95 $12.95

45.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$6.21 $6.21

-25.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.13 $1.13

46.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$6.58 $6.58

-36.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.83 $4.83

1.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.99 $3.99

-32.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.92 $2.92

-6.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.83 $1.83

14.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.80 $1.80

36.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.90 $10.90

$8.49 $8.49

28.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 $14.97

$13.93 $13.93

7.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.77 $1.77

45.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.94 $3.94

-14.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.0 $60.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.57 $4.57

-28.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.82 $1.82

-25.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.88 $24.88

$59.5 $59.5

-58.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.81 $0.81

22.22%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.27%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.0K $25.0K

2.89%

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

$192 $192

$134 $134

43.25%

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

$59.2 $59.2

$40.38 $40.38

46.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.0 $76.0

$55.8 $55.8

36.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$68.9 $68.9

78.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.32 $39.32

Cinema Ticket

$14.72 $14.72

$11.32 $11.32

30.04%

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

$1,563 $1,563

$665 $665

135.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$17.7K $17.7K

33.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 $64.9

$59.4 $59.4

9.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$38.15 $38.15

33.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$83.0 $83.0

21.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$123 $123

-2.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 $2,084

$1,350 $1,350

54.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 $1,548

$1,258 $1,258

23.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,937 $3,937

$2,855 $2,855

37.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 $2,485

$2,205 $2,205

12.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,279 $3,279

$2,463 $2,463

33.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,480 $2,480

$1,874 $1,874

32.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,121 $6,121

$3,143 $3,143

94.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.45

4.96%

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

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Marcos, TX: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 51.2%

San Marcos, TX

$1.3K 53.3% 18.8% $290

Groceries & Markets

Des Plaines, IL

$418 13.8%

San Marcos, TX

$363 15.4% 13% $54

Eating Out

Des Plaines, IL

$349 11.5%

San Marcos, TX

$268 11.4% 23.1% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Plaines, IL

$327 10.8%

San Marcos, TX

$230 9.8% 29.6% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Des Plaines, IL

$152 5%

San Marcos, TX

$92 3.9% 39.9% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Des Plaines, IL

$151 5%

San Marcos, TX

$136 5.8% 9.9% $15

Getting Around

Des Plaines, IL

$78 2.6%

San Marcos, TX

$14 * 0.6% 82.5% $64

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,084 in Des Plaines, IL and $1,350 in San Marcos, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays 95% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL vs $60.0 in San Marcos, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $418 vs $363 per month, with San Marcos, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 San Marcos, TX

🕒 Local time

14:25 2:25 PM

Same time as Des Plaines, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,675

44,894

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Des Plaines, IL San Marcos, TX 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Des Plaines, IL
San Marcos, 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

Des Plaines, IL vs San Marcos, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Des Plaines, IL and San Marcos, TX differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($3,023 vs $2,361 including rent). San Marcos, TX is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 95% higher in Des Plaines, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,084 in Des Plaines, IL versus $1,350 in San Marcos, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,563 in Des Plaines, IL versus $665 in San Marcos, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Marcos, TX – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,361 in San Marcos, TX versus $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Marcos, TX but tight or insufficient in Des Plaines, IL. The gap between the two cities makes San Marcos, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find San Marcos, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Des Plaines, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.