Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Angelo, TX and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in San Angelo, TX: $3,010 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Chicago, IL despite lower rent and utilities.

147

Cost of Living Index in San Angelo, TX
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San Angelo, TX Living Index
153

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

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San Angelo, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$3,010

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,010 per month in San Angelo, TX vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

San Angelo, TX $3,010
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,548 per month in San Angelo, TX vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

San Angelo, TX $3,548
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,086 per month in San Angelo, TX vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

San Angelo, TX $4,086
Chicago, IL $6,077

San Angelo, TX is about 5% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Angelo, TX and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – San Angelo, TX by 123%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.21 $20.21

$21.58 $21.58

-6.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.02 $35.02

$88.7 $88.7

-60.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 $9.06

$13.20 $13.20

-31.36%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$5.59 $5.59

-2.15%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$2.63 $2.63

12.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.26 $2.26

6.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 $7.10

$7.11 $7.11

-0.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.02 $9.02

$9.23 $9.23

-2.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.28 $1.28

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.84 $3.84

-1.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.07 $5.07

-34.71%

Eggs

$4.25 $4.25

$4.84 $4.84

-12.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.83 $12.83

$14.17 $14.17

-9.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.19 $14.19

$14.61 $14.61

-2.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 $16.17

$18.76 $18.76

-13.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$5.19 $5.19

-15.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.00 $2.00

-27.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.00 $4.00

14.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$4.98 $4.98

-15.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.79 $2.79

-5.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.65 $2.65

-12.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.13 $2.13

-14.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.09 $3.09

-30.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.14 $10.14

$16.05 $16.05

-36.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 $15.17

$15.20 $15.20

-0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.62 $2.62

8.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.46 $3.46

-0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.21 $3.21

-15.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.39 $1.39

17.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.69 $35.69

$25.02 $25.02

42.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.24 $1.24

-33.06%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$37.2K $37.2K

-1.15%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

6.08%

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

$228 $228

$192 $192

18.41%

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

$49.67 $49.67

$67.8 $67.8

-26.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$60.9 $60.9

12.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.40 $25.40

$53.6 $53.6

-52.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.19 $10.19

$27.90 $27.90

-63.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.12 $14.12

$17.80 $17.80

-20.67%

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

$1,512 $1,512

$1,554 $1,554

-2.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K $21.2K

$31.4K $31.4K

-32.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$67.9 $67.9

-21.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.14 $43.14

$50.8 $50.8

-15.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 $84.9

$101 $101

-16.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$143 $143

-27.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 $934

$2,383 $2,383

-60.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 $1,737

$1,712 $1,712

1.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 $1,399

$4,674 $4,674

-70.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 $1,503

$2,738 $2,738

-45.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,787 $1,787

$4,158 $4,158

-57.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,772 $1,772

$2,691 $2,691

-34.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,413 $3,413

$4,894 $4,894

-30.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.77

0.30%

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

Last update for San Angelo, TX: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Angelo, TX

$1.7K 57.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 1.5% $25

Groceries & Markets

San Angelo, TX

$404 13.4%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 11.6% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Angelo, TX

$346 11.5%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 7.2% $25

Eating Out

San Angelo, TX

$330 11%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 7.1% $23

Clothing & Footwear

San Angelo, TX

$129 4.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 27.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

San Angelo, TX

$54 1.8%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 66.2% $36

Getting Around

San Angelo, TX

$11 * 0.4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 771% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $934 in San Angelo, 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 43% 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 $35.00 in San Angelo, TX versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $451 – making San Angelo, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Angelo, TX

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

02:21 2:21 AM

Same time as San Angelo, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

99,893

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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Highest

Between locations

San Angelo, TX Chicago, IL 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Angelo, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,010 in San Angelo, TX, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 6% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,516 per month in San Angelo, 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 San Angelo, TX, 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 $35.00 in San Angelo, TX and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% 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 $3,000 monthly budget goes further in San Angelo, TX, where all-in costs run around $3,010, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In San Angelo, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,010 in San Angelo, TX to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with San Angelo, 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.