Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in McKinney, TX: $2,789 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in McKinney, TX
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McKinney, TX Living Index
153

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

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McKinney, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,789

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,789 per month in McKinney, TX vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

McKinney, TX $2,789
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,710 per month in McKinney, TX vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

McKinney, TX $3,710
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,630 per month in McKinney, TX vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

McKinney, TX $4,630
Chicago, IL $6,077

McKinney, TX is about 12% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both McKinney, TX and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – McKinney, TX by 107%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.90 $18.90

$21.58 $21.58

-12.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$88.7 $88.7

-33.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 $10.81

$13.20 $13.20

-18.11%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$5.59 $5.59

-9.66%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$2.63 $2.63

-2.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.26 $2.26

-20.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$7.11 $7.11

-17.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.59 $7.59

$9.23 $9.23

-17.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.28 $1.28

-25.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.84 $3.84

-27.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$5.07 $5.07

-54.24%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$4.84 $4.84

-15.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 $10.16

$14.17 $14.17

-28.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.51 $15.51

$14.61 $14.61

6.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 $16.84

$18.76 $18.76

-10.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$5.19 $5.19

-41.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.00 $2.00

42.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$4.00 $4.00

-25.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$4.98 $4.98

-47.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.79 $2.79

-21.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.65 $2.65

-20.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.13 $2.13

-19.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.09 $3.09

-3.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.05 $11.05

$16.05 $16.05

-31.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.47 $11.47

$15.20 $15.20

-24.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.62 $2.62

-33.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.46 $3.46

3.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.47 $2.47

24.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$189 $189

$75.1 $75.1

151.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.21 $3.21

-8.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.74 $14.74

$25.02 $25.02

-41.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.24 $1.24

-25.00%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$37.2K $37.2K

-3.04%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$25.8K $25.8K

-4.17%

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

$200 $200

$192 $192

4.25%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$67.8 $67.8

-12.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 $69.3

$60.9 $60.9

13.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.36 $30.36

$53.6 $53.6

-43.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.81 $12.81

$27.90 $27.90

-54.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 $11.85

$17.80 $17.80

-33.43%

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

$1,345 $1,345

$1,554 $1,554

-13.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 $56.5

$67.9 $67.9

-16.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.95 $28.95

$50.8 $50.8

-42.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 $87.8

$101 $101

-13.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 $59.8

$143 $143

-58.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 $1,673

$2,383 $2,383

-29.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 $1,420

$1,712 $1,712

-17.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 $2,639

$4,674 $4,674

-43.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 $1,704

$2,738 $2,738

-37.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,323 $2,323

$4,158 $4,158

-44.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,294 $2,294

$2,691 $2,691

-14.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,805 $5,805

$4,894 $4,894

18.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.77

-3.84%

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

Last update for McKinney, TX: 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

McKinney, TX

$1.4K 50.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 20.6% $292

Groceries & Markets

McKinney, TX

$371 13.3%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 21.6% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

McKinney, TX

$329 11.8%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 2.5% $8.2

Eating Out

McKinney, TX

$306 11%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 15.3% $47

Getting Around

McKinney, TX

$204 * 7.3%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 53.4% $109

Clothing & Footwear

McKinney, TX

$105 3.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 55.9% $59

Sport & Entertainment

McKinney, TX

$54 1.9%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 64.9% $35

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,673 in McKinney, TX 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.

Salaries run about 19% higher in McKinney, TX, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in McKinney, TX versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $371 vs $451 – making McKinney, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 McKinney, TX

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

17:44 5:44 PM

Same time as McKinney, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,690

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

McKinney, TX Chicago, IL 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

McKinney, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,789 in McKinney, TX, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,183 per month in McKinney, TX 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 McKinney, TX, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in McKinney, TX and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,789 in McKinney, TX 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 $2,789 in McKinney, TX to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with McKinney, TX. 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.