Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Houston, TX: $2,625 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

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

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

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Houston, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,625

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,625 per month in Houston, TX vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Houston, TX $2,625
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,794 per month in Houston, TX vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Houston, TX $3,794
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,963 per month in Houston, TX vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Houston, TX $4,963
Chicago, IL $5,999

Houston, TX is about 14% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Houston, TX and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Houston, TX by 93%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.40 $20.40

$20.71 $20.71

-1.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 $75.1

$89.2 $89.2

-15.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$13.19 $13.19

-25.55%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$5.66 $5.66

-7.42%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$2.64 $2.64

3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.28 $2.28

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 $6.17

$6.87 $6.87

-10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$8.84 $8.84

-10.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.25 $1.25

-32.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.72 $3.72

-12.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$5.39 $5.39

-23.93%

Eggs

$3.25 $3.25

$4.74 $4.74

-31.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 $11.11

$13.84 $13.84

-19.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.65 $12.65

$14.40 $14.40

-12.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.40 $16.40

$18.38 $18.38

-10.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$5.22 $5.22

-21.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.98 $1.98

-25.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$4.06 $4.06

-24.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$4.97 $4.97

-26.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.67 $2.67

-17.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.66 $2.66

1.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.24 $2.24

-12.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.13 $3.13

-20.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.09 $10.09

$13.82 $13.82

-26.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.47 $14.47

$14.88 $14.88

-2.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.54 $2.54

-2.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.51 $3.51

-17.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.43 $2.43

-48.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 $74.4

$73.5 $73.5

1.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.18 $3.18

-10.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.39 $1.39

6.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.92 $23.92

$25.03 $25.03

-4.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.20 $1.20

-19.17%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

-1.75%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.09%

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

$198 $198

$194 $194

1.77%

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

$65.2 $65.2

$69.5 $69.5

-6.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.3 $75.3

$61.6 $61.6

22.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.73 $35.73

$47.90 $47.90

-25.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.98 $20.98

$27.34 $27.34

-23.26%

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 $15.06

$17.81 $17.81

-15.44%

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

$1,901 $1,901

$1,794 $1,794

5.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K $22.1K

$31.9K $31.9K

-30.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.81 $49.81

$67.0 $67.0

-25.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.04 $47.04

$52.1 $52.1

-9.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$102 $102

1.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 $94.0

$144 $144

-34.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,742 $1,742

$2,526 $2,526

-31.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 $1,304

$1,578 $1,578

-17.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,449 $3,449

$4,738 $4,738

-27.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 $2,057

$2,693 $2,693

-23.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,659 $2,659

$4,190 $4,190

-36.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,785 $1,785

$2,768 $2,768

-35.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,293 $4,293

$4,931 $4,931

-12.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.81

-1.62%

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

Last update for Houston, TX: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Houston, TX

$1.3K 49.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 21% $274

Groceries & Markets

Houston, TX

$373 14.2%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 20% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Houston, TX

$338 12.9%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 3.8% $13

Eating Out

Houston, TX

$322 12.3%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 7.1% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Houston, TX

$132 5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 23.9% $32

Getting Around

Houston, TX

$90 3.4%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 4.1% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Houston, TX

$66 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 26.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,742 in Houston, 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 run about 15% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Houston, TX versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $373 vs $447 – making Houston, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Houston, TX

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

14:01 2:01 PM

Same time as Houston, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,304,580

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Houston, TX Chicago, IL 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Houston, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,625 in Houston, TX, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Houston, TX comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,937 per month in Houston, 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 Houston, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,742 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Houston, TX and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,625 in Houston, TX and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Houston, TX costs $2,625 versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Houston, 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.