Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Marcos, TX and Des Plaines, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in San Marcos, TX: $2,361 a month against $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

115

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

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index

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San Marcos, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,361

/mo nomad

Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,023

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,361 in San Marcos, TX versus $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL.

San Marcos, TX $2,361
Des Plaines, IL $3,023

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,510 in San Marcos, TX versus $4,419 in Des Plaines, IL.

San Marcos, TX $3,510
Des Plaines, IL $4,419

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,658 in San Marcos, TX versus $5,815 in Des Plaines, IL.

San Marcos, TX $4,658
Des Plaines, IL $5,815

Living in San Marcos, TX costs roughly 22% less than in Des Plaines, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Marcos, TX 75% above, Des Plaines, IL 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.98 $14.98

$21.29 $21.29

-29.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.5 $60.5

$89.1 $89.1

-32.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$13.10 $13.10

-9.92%

Cappuccino

$4.72 $4.72

$5.68 $5.68

-16.90%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$2.61 $2.61

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.24 $2.24

-22.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 $5.12

$7.05 $7.05

-27.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 $6.11

$8.22 $8.22

-25.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.92 $0.92

-17.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.40 $3.40

-5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$4.20 $4.20

-10.95%

Eggs

$2.77 $2.77

$4.23 $4.23

-34.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 $10.06

$14.74 $14.74

-31.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.81 $9.81

$13.04 $13.04

-24.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 $12.95

$18.82 $18.82

-31.19%

Apples (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$4.61 $4.61

34.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.66 $1.66

-31.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$4.16 $4.16

58.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.92 $4.92

-1.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$2.71 $2.71

47.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.72 $2.72

7.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.09 $2.09

-12.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.45 $2.45

-26.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.49 $8.49

$10.90 $10.90

-22.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 $13.93

$14.97 $14.97

-6.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.57 $2.57

-31.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.35 $3.35

17.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.0 $60.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 $4.57

$3.29 $3.29

38.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.36 $1.36

33.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.5 $59.5

$24.88 $24.88

139.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.99 $0.99

-18.18%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$36.1K $36.1K

-0.27%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$25.7K $25.7K

-2.81%

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

$134 $134

$192 $192

-30.19%

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

$40.38 $40.38

$59.2 $59.2

-31.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 $55.8

$76.0 $76.0

-26.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 $68.9

$123 $123

-43.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.32 $39.32

Cinema Ticket

$11.32 $11.32

$14.72 $14.72

-23.10%

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

$665 $665

$1,563 $1,563

-57.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$23.7K $23.7K

-25.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 $59.4

$64.9 $64.9

-8.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.15 $38.15

$50.8 $50.8

-24.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 $83.0

$101 $101

-17.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$120 $120

2.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 $1,350

$2,084 $2,084

-35.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 $1,258

$1,548 $1,548

-18.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,855 $2,855

$3,937 $3,937

-27.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 $2,205

$2,485 $2,485

-11.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,463 $2,463

$3,279 $3,279

-24.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,874 $1,874

$2,480 $2,480

-24.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,143 $3,143

$6,121 $6,121

-48.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.77

-4.73%

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

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

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Marcos, TX

$1.3K 53.3%

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 51.2% 23.1% $290

Groceries & Markets

San Marcos, TX

$363 15.4%

Des Plaines, IL

$418 13.8% 15% $54

Eating Out

San Marcos, TX

$268 11.4%

Des Plaines, IL

$349 11.5% 30.1% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Marcos, TX

$230 9.8%

Des Plaines, IL

$327 10.8% 42.1% $97

Clothing & Footwear

San Marcos, TX

$136 5.8%

Des Plaines, IL

$151 5% 11% $15

Sport & Entertainment

San Marcos, TX

$92 3.9%

Des Plaines, IL

$152 5% 66.3% $61

Getting Around

San Marcos, TX

$14 * 0.6%

Des Plaines, IL

$78 2.6% 470% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,350 in San Marcos, TX and $2,084 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays 95% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $60.0 in San Marcos, TX vs $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $418 per month, with San Marcos, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Marcos, TX

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🕒 Local time

13:11 1:11 PM

Same time as San Marcos, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,894

60,675

💱 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

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

From you

San Marcos, TX
Des Plaines, 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 Des Plaines, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Marcos, TX and Des Plaines, IL differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,361 vs $3,023 including rent). San Marcos, TX is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 95% lower in Des Plaines, IL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,350 in San Marcos, TX versus $2,084 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $665 in San Marcos, TX versus $1,563 in Des Plaines, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Marcos, TX – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,361 in San Marcos, TX versus $3,023 in Des Plaines, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Marcos, TX but tight or insufficient in Des Plaines, IL. The gap between the two cities makes San Marcos, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find San Marcos, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Des Plaines, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.