Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Texarkana, TX: $1,997 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Texarkana, TX
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Texarkana, TX Living Index
147

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

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Texarkana, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,997

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,997 per month in Texarkana, TX vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Texarkana, TX $1,997
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $2,898 per month in Texarkana, TX vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Texarkana, TX $2,898
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $3,799 per month in Texarkana, TX vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Texarkana, TX $3,799
Chicago, IL $5,999

Texarkana, TX is about 34% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Texarkana, TX and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Texarkana, TX by 47%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.14 $18.14

$20.71 $20.71

-12.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 $50.3

$89.2 $89.2

-43.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 $9.83

$13.19 $13.19

-25.47%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$5.66 $5.66

8.13%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$2.64 $2.64

8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.28 $2.28

7.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 $5.45

$6.87 $6.87

-20.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 $7.96

$8.84 $8.84

-9.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 $0.62

$1.25 $1.25

-50.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.72 $3.72

-18.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$5.39 $5.39

-25.05%

Eggs

$3.73 $3.73

$4.74 $4.74

-21.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.00 $9.00

$13.84 $13.84

-34.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 $8.55

$14.40 $14.40

-40.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.20 $12.20

$18.38 $18.38

-33.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$5.22 $5.22

-29.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.98 $1.98

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$4.06 $4.06

-57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.97 $4.97

-5.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.67 $2.67

-50.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.66 $2.66

-9.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.24 $2.24

-19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.13 $3.13

-47.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.85 $9.85

$13.82 $13.82

-28.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.68 $20.68

$14.88 $14.88

38.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.54 $2.54

-21.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$3.51 $3.51

-58.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.18 $3.18

-5.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.39 $1.39

27.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.58 $23.58

$25.03 $25.03

-5.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.20 $1.20

-24.17%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

3.54%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.51%

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

$211 $211

$194 $194

8.27%

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

$93.4 $93.4

$69.5 $69.5

34.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.2 $83.2

$61.6 $61.6

34.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.0 $70.0

$47.90 $47.90

46.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$15.24 $15.24

$17.81 $17.81

-14.43%

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

$1,909 $1,909

$1,794 $1,794

6.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$31.9K $31.9K

-13.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 $60.0

$67.0 $67.0

-10.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.44 $49.44

$52.1 $52.1

-5.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$102 $102

20.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$144 $144

-9.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 $829

$2,526 $2,526

-67.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 $702

$1,578 $1,578

-55.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 $1,288

$4,738 $4,738

-72.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 $1,135

$2,693 $2,693

-57.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,460 $1,460

$4,190 $4,190

-65.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,413 $1,413

$2,768 $2,768

-48.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,290 $3,290

$4,931 $4,931

-33.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.81

-2.79%

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

Last update for Texarkana, TX: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Texarkana, TX

$702 35.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 125% $876

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Texarkana, TX

$387 19.4%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 15.9% $62

Groceries & Markets

Texarkana, TX

$321 16.1%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 39.6% $127

Eating Out

Texarkana, TX

$312 15.7%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 10.4% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Texarkana, TX

$163 8.2%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 0.7% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Texarkana, TX

$100 5%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 16.9% $17

Getting Around

Texarkana, TX

$12 * 0.6%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 685% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $829 in Texarkana, 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 50% 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 $50 in Texarkana, TX versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $447 – making Texarkana, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Texarkana, TX

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

17:08 5:08 PM

Same time as Texarkana, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,193

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Texarkana, TX Chicago, IL 1,100 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Texarkana, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,997 in Texarkana, TX, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Texarkana, TX comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,995 per month in Texarkana, 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 Texarkana, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $829 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Texarkana, 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 40% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Texarkana, TX, where all-in costs run around $1,997, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Texarkana, 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 $1,997 in Texarkana, TX to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Texarkana, 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.