Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Greenville, TX: $2,313 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Greenville, TX
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Greenville, TX Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Greenville, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,313

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Greenville, TX and in Chicago, IL

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

A single person spends $2,313 per month in Greenville, TX vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Greenville, TX $2,313
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,295 per month in Greenville, TX vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Greenville, TX $3,295
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,277 per month in Greenville, TX vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Greenville, TX $4,277
Chicago, IL $5,999

Greenville, TX is about 24% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Greenville, TX and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Greenville, TX by 70%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.25 $18.25

$20.71 $20.71

-11.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 $53.3

$89.2 $89.2

-40.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.04 $12.04

$13.19 $13.19

-8.72%

Cappuccino

$6.09 $6.09

$5.66 $5.66

7.60%

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

$1.25 $1.25

$2.64 $2.64

-52.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.28 $2.28

3.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.37 $5.37

$6.87 $6.87

-21.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$8.84 $8.84

-8.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.25 $1.25

-29.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.72 $3.72

6.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$5.39 $5.39

-2.04%

Eggs

$3.56 $3.56

$4.74 $4.74

-24.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.03 $11.03

$13.84 $13.84

-20.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$14.40 $14.40

2.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.28 $20.28

$18.38 $18.38

10.34%

Apples (1kg)

$6.53 $6.53

$5.22 $5.22

25.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.98 $1.98

40.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.06 $4.06

29.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.97 $4.97

-3.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.67 $2.67

-0.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.66 $2.66

30.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.24 $2.24

3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.13 $3.13

-20.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.19 $10.19

$13.82 $13.82

-26.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.40 $21.40

$14.88 $14.88

43.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.54 $2.54

-20.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.51 $3.51

-8.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.18 $3.18

-3.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.39 $1.39

28.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.26 $24.26

$25.03 $25.03

-3.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.20 $1.20

-26.67%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

2.25%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.70%

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

$209 $209

$194 $194

7.48%

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

$91.6 $91.6

$69.5 $69.5

31.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.4 $85.4

$61.6 $61.6

38.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.0 $59.0

$47.90 $47.90

23.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$8.01 $8.01

$17.81 $17.81

-55.03%

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

$1,876 $1,876

$1,794 $1,794

4.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K $28.1K

$31.9K $31.9K

-12.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 $61.7

$67.0 $67.0

-8.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 $50.9

$52.1 $52.1

-2.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

0.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$144 $144

-8.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 $1,101

$2,526 $2,526

-56.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$913 $913

$1,578 $1,578

-42.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 $1,523

$4,738 $4,738

-67.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 $1,334

$2,693 $2,693

-50.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,016 $2,016

$4,931 $4,931

-59.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.81

-4.55%

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

Last update for Greenville, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Greenville, TX

$913 39.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 72.8% $665

Groceries & Markets

Greenville, TX

$459 19.8%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 2.6% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Greenville, TX

$386 16.7%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 15.7% $60

Eating Out

Greenville, TX

$313 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 10.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Greenville, TX

$156 6.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 5.5% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Greenville, TX

$75 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 11.3% $8.5

Getting Around

Greenville, TX

$12 * 0.5%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 682% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,101 in Greenville, TX versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. 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 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Greenville, TX versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $459 in Greenville, TX vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Greenville, TX

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

18:06 6:06 PM

Same time as Greenville, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,720

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Greenville, TX Chicago, IL 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Greenville, TX
Chicago, IL

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,313 in Greenville, TX, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Greenville, TX comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,470 per month in Greenville, TX and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Greenville, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,101 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53 in Greenville, TX and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,313 in Greenville, TX and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,313 in Greenville, TX to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Greenville, 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.