Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Round Rock, TX and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Round Rock, TX: $2,333 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Round Rock, TX
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Round Rock, TX Living Index
147

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

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Round Rock, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,333

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,333 per month in Round Rock, TX vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Round Rock, TX $2,333
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,460 per month in Round Rock, TX vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Round Rock, TX $3,460
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,587 per month in Round Rock, TX vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Round Rock, TX $4,587
Chicago, IL $5,999

Round Rock, TX is about 23% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Round Rock, TX and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Round Rock, TX by 71%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 $20.33

$20.71 $20.71

-1.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 $79.1

$89.2 $89.2

-11.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 $12.13

$13.19 $13.19

-8.04%

Cappuccino

$6.04 $6.04

$5.66 $5.66

6.71%

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

$2.84 $2.84

$2.64 $2.64

7.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.28 $2.28

4.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.87 $6.87

14.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$8.84 $8.84

1.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.25 $1.25

-12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.72 $3.72

-0.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$5.39 $5.39

-40.63%

Eggs

$3.64 $3.64

$4.74 $4.74

-23.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.84 $13.84

-6.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.08 $14.08

$14.40 $14.40

-2.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.44 $16.44

$18.38 $18.38

-10.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$5.22 $5.22

-8.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.98 $1.98

-17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$4.06 $4.06

23.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$4.97 $4.97

-7.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.67 $2.67

-5.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.66 $2.66

-13.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.24 $2.24

-19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.13 $3.13

-32.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 $9.91

$13.82 $13.82

-28.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$14.88 $14.88

-1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.54 $2.54

-18.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.51 $3.51

-5.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.18 $3.18

-12.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.39 $1.39

15.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.87 $23.87

$25.03 $25.03

-4.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.20 $1.20

-15.83%

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

$34.3K $34.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-2.23%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.01%

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

$225 $225

$194 $194

15.90%

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

$59.2 $59.2

$69.5 $69.5

-14.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$61.6 $61.6

12.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.18 $49.18

$47.90 $47.90

2.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 $13.79

$17.81 $17.81

-22.57%

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

$1,456 $1,456

$1,794 $1,794

-18.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K $21.0K

$31.9K $31.9K

-34.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 $61.5

$67.0 $67.0

-8.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.13 $43.13

$52.1 $52.1

-17.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 $86.5

$102 $102

-14.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$144 $144

-28.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 $1,186

$2,526 $2,526

-53.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 $1,008

$1,578 $1,578

-36.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 $1,827

$4,738 $4,738

-61.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,686 $1,686

$2,693 $2,693

-37.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,705 $2,705

$4,190 $4,190

-35.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,703 $2,703

$2,768 $2,768

-2.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,730 $4,730

$4,931 $4,931

-4.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.81

-2.35%

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

Last update for Round Rock, 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

Round Rock, TX

$1K 43.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 56.5% $570

Groceries & Markets

Round Rock, TX

$402 17.2%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 11.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Round Rock, TX

$354 15.2%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 8.1% $29

Eating Out

Round Rock, TX

$350 15%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 1.4% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Round Rock, TX

$132 5.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 24.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Round Rock, TX

$77 3.3%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 8.8% $6.8

Getting Around

Round Rock, TX

$11 * 0.5%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 763% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,186 in Round Rock, 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 4% 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 $79 in Round Rock, TX versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $447 – making Round Rock, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Round Rock, TX

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

Same time as Round Rock, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,468

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Round Rock, TX Chicago, IL 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Round Rock, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,333 in Round Rock, TX, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Round Rock, TX comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,500 per month in Round Rock, 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 Round Rock, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,186 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Round Rock, 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 11% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Round Rock, TX – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Round Rock, 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.