Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hoffman Estates, IL and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Hoffman Estates, IL: $2,548 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Hoffman Estates, IL
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Hoffman Estates, IL Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Hoffman Estates, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,548

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hoffman Estates, IL and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,548 in Hoffman Estates, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Hoffman Estates, IL $2,548
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,650 in Hoffman Estates, IL versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Hoffman Estates, IL $3,650
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,753 in Hoffman Estates, IL versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Hoffman Estates, IL $4,753
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Hoffman Estates, IL costs roughly 6% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hoffman Estates, IL 88% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.29 $17.29

$20.63 $20.63

-16.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.6 $66.6

$84.6 $84.6

-21.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 $10.17

$12.07 $12.07

-15.74%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$5.48 $5.48

-11.31%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$3.80 $3.80

-27.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.47 $2.47

-18.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.40 $6.40

$8.05 $8.05

-20.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 $6.17

$8.88 $8.88

-30.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.11 $1.11

-9.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.72 $3.72

-7.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$3.37 $3.37

27.30%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$4.32 $4.32

-1.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 $12.41

$13.13 $13.13

-5.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$14.15 $14.15

-19.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.28 $17.28

$16.33 $16.33

5.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.55 $4.55

9.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.46 $1.46

8.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$4.71 $4.71

-9.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$4.15 $4.15

10.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.58 $2.58

5.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.35 $2.35

28.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.77 $1.77

20.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.14 $2.14

2.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.92 $8.92

$10.10 $10.10

-11.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$15.19 $15.19

-1.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.82 $2.82

-21.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.44 $3.44

-16.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.54 $1.54

33.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.80 $2.80

20.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.60 $1.60

-5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.23 $30.23

$34.34 $34.34

-11.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.94 $0.94

29.79%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$34.0K $34.0K

-22.32%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

1.10%

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

$222 $222

$223 $223

-0.26%

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

$59.5 $59.5

$58.9 $58.9

0.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$70.6 $70.6

-2.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.74 $41.74

$57.7 $57.7

-27.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$13.87 $13.87

$14.26 $14.26

-2.73%

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

$1,385 $1,385

$1,511 $1,511

-8.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$20.9K $20.9K

21.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 $58.7

$51.3 $51.3

14.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.85 $40.85

$44.17 $44.17

-7.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$87.0 $87.0

3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$104 $104

17.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$1,940 $1,940

-16.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 $1,283

$1,316 $1,316

-2.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,803 $2,803

$3,664 $3,664

-23.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 $2,029

$2,565 $2,565

-20.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,652 $2,652

$7,354 $7,354

-63.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,396 $2,396

$3,129 $3,129

-23.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,390 $2,390

$5,286 $5,286

-54.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.79

-3.24%

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

Last update for Hoffman Estates, IL: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hoffman Estates, IL

$1.3K 50.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 2.6% $33

Groceries & Markets

Hoffman Estates, IL

$395 15.5%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 2.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hoffman Estates, IL

$350 13.7%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 0.6% $2

Eating Out

Hoffman Estates, IL

$291 11.4%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 20.5% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Hoffman Estates, IL

$140 5.5%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 8.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Hoffman Estates, IL

$69 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 24.1% $17

Getting Around

Hoffman Estates, IL

$19 * 0.8%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 202% $39

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 $1,618 in Hoffman Estates, IL and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 121% 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: $67.0 in Hoffman Estates, IL vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 vs $406 per month, with Hoffman Estates, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hoffman Estates, IL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

Same time as Hoffman Estates, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,895

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Hoffman Estates, IL Austin, TX 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hoffman Estates, IL
Austin, 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

Hoffman Estates, IL vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hoffman Estates, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hoffman Estates, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 121% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,618 in Hoffman Estates, IL versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,385 in Hoffman Estates, IL versus $1,511 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hoffman Estates, IL – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Hoffman Estates, IL is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Hoffman Estates, IL and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hoffman Estates, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.