Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, MO and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Houston, MO: $2,699 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Houston, MO
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Houston, MO Living Index
153

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

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Houston, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,699

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,699 per month in Houston, MO vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Houston, MO $2,699
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,960 per month in Houston, MO vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Houston, MO $3,960
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,221 per month in Houston, MO vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Houston, MO $5,221
Chicago, IL $6,077

Houston, MO is about 15% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Houston, MO and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Houston, MO by 100%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 $18.08

$21.58 $21.58

-16.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 $77.5

$88.7 $88.7

-12.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.09 $12.09

$13.20 $13.20

-8.41%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$5.59 $5.59

-7.33%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$2.63 $2.63

-7.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.26 $2.26

-22.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 $5.60

$7.11 $7.11

-21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 $7.20

$9.23 $9.23

-21.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.28 $1.28

-3.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.84 $3.84

-1.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$5.07 $5.07

12.62%

Eggs

$3.90 $3.90

$4.84 $4.84

-19.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 $13.29

$14.17 $14.17

-6.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.41 $15.41

$14.61 $14.61

5.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.59 $20.59

$18.76 $18.76

9.75%

Apples (1kg)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.19 $5.19

58.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.00 $2.00

19.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$4.00 $4.00

38.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$4.98 $4.98

5.62%

Potato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.79 $2.79

54.84%

Onion (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.65 $2.65

87.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.13 $2.13

32.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.09 $3.09

-8.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.24 $8.24

$16.05 $16.05

-48.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.20 $15.20

-0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.62 $2.62

8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.46 $3.46

-6.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.47 $2.47

-23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.21 $3.21

5.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.39 $1.39

14.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.87 $39.87

$25.02 $25.02

59.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.24 $1.24

-18.55%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$37.2K $37.2K

-3.91%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

-5.15%

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

$244 $244

$192 $192

26.69%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$67.8 $67.8

0.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$60.9 $60.9

22.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.02 $44.02

$53.6 $53.6

-17.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$13.93 $13.93

$17.80 $17.80

-21.74%

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

$1,425 $1,425

$1,554 $1,554

-8.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$31.4K $31.4K

-24.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 $58.8

$67.9 $67.9

-13.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.41 $39.41

$50.8 $50.8

-22.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 $87.1

$101 $101

-14.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$143 $143

-16.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 $1,347

$2,383 $2,383

-43.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 $1,292

$1,712 $1,712

-24.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,488 $2,488

$4,674 $4,674

-46.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 $2,150

$2,738 $2,738

-21.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,726 $2,726

$4,158 $4,158

-34.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,291 $2,291

$2,691 $2,691

-14.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.77

-0.74%

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

Last update for Houston, MO: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Houston, MO

$1.3K 47.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 32.5% $420

Groceries & Markets

Houston, MO

$490 18.2%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Houston, MO

$387 14.3%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 17% $66

Eating Out

Houston, MO

$302 11.2%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 16.8% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Houston, MO

$137 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 19.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Houston, MO

$72 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 24.1% $17

Getting Around

Houston, MO

$19 * 0.7%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 401% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,347 in Houston, MO versus $2,383 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Houston, MO versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $490 in Houston, MO vs $451 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Houston, MO

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:15 11:15 PM

Same time as Houston, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,304,580

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Houston, MO Chicago, IL 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Houston, MO
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

Houston, MO vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,699 in Houston, MO, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,049 per month in Houston, MO and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Houston, MO, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Houston, MO and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,699 in Houston, MO and $3,185 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 $2,699 in Houston, MO to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Houston, MO. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.