Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Marcos, TX: $2,383 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in San Marcos, TX
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San Marcos, TX Living Index
147

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

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San Marcos, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,383

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,383 per month in San Marcos, TX vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

San Marcos, TX $2,383
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,556 per month in San Marcos, TX vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

San Marcos, TX $3,556
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,729 per month in San Marcos, TX vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

San Marcos, TX $4,729
Chicago, IL $5,999

San Marcos, TX is about 22% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Marcos, TX and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – San Marcos, TX by 75%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.07 $15.07

$20.71 $20.71

-27.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 $60.1

$89.2 $89.2

-32.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 $11.88

$13.19 $13.19

-9.93%

Cappuccino

$4.58 $4.58

$5.66 $5.66

-19.08%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.64 $2.64

10.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.28 $2.28

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$6.87 $6.87

-28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 $6.17

$8.84 $8.84

-30.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.25 $1.25

-38.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.72 $3.72

-12.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$5.39 $5.39

-29.50%

Eggs

$2.89 $2.89

$4.74 $4.74

-39.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$13.84 $13.84

-28.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.79 $9.79

$14.40 $14.40

-32.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.29 $13.29

$18.38 $18.38

-27.69%

Apples (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$5.22 $5.22

24.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.98 $1.98

-41.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.56 $6.56

$4.06 $4.06

61.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$4.97 $4.97

-1.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.67 $2.67

45.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.66 $2.66

11.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.24 $2.24

-18.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.13 $3.13

-40.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.11 $9.11

$13.82 $13.82

-34.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 $13.83

$14.88 $14.88

-7.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.54 $2.54

-33.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.51 $3.51

7.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 $4.62

$3.18 $3.18

45.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.39 $1.39

30.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.9 $60.9

$25.03 $25.03

143.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.20 $1.20

-30.83%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-23.82%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.55%

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

$137 $137

$194 $194

-29.44%

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

$40.64 $40.64

$69.5 $69.5

-41.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 $55.9

$61.6 $61.6

-9.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.4 $68.4

$47.90 $47.90

42.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$11.15 $11.15

$17.81 $17.81

-37.39%

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

$679 $679

$1,794 $1,794

-62.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$31.9K $31.9K

-44.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 $59.9

$67.0 $67.0

-10.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.71 $37.71

$52.1 $52.1

-27.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 $84.2

$102 $102

-17.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$144 $144

-14.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 $1,317

$2,526 $2,526

-47.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,578 $1,578

-19.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,789 $2,789

$4,738 $4,738

-41.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 $2,266

$2,693 $2,693

-15.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,417 $2,417

$4,190 $4,190

-42.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,914 $1,914

$2,768 $2,768

-30.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,174 $3,174

$4,931 $4,931

-35.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.81

-5.29%

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

Last update for San Marcos, TX: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Marcos, TX

$1.3K 53.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 23.8% $304

Groceries & Markets

San Marcos, TX

$367 15.4%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 22% $81

Eating Out

San Marcos, TX

$267 11.2%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 29.4% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Marcos, TX

$234 9.8%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 39.3% $92

Clothing & Footwear

San Marcos, TX

$137 5.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 19.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

San Marcos, TX

$91 3.8%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 7.9% $7.2

Getting Around

San Marcos, TX

$14 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 580% $80

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,317 in San Marcos, 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 55% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in San Marcos, TX versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $447 – making San Marcos, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Marcos, TX

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

11:06 11:06 AM

Same time as San Marcos, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,894

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,383 in San Marcos, TX, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,575 per month in San Marcos, 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 San Marcos, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,317 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in San Marcos, 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 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,383 in San Marcos, TX and $3,037 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 $2,383 in San Marcos, TX to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with San Marcos, 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.