Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Texas City, TX and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Texas City, TX: $1,949 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Texas City, TX
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Texas City, TX Living Index
146

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

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Texas City, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,949

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,949 per month in Texas City, TX vs $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Texas City, TX $1,949
Chicago, IL $3,072

A couple spends around $2,818 per month in Texas City, TX vs $4,545 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Texas City, TX $2,818
Chicago, IL $4,545

A family of three spends $3,688 per month in Texas City, TX vs $6,019 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Texas City, TX $3,688
Chicago, IL $6,019

Texas City, TX is about 37% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Texas City, TX and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Texas City, TX by 44%, Chicago, IL by 127%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.03 $18.03

$20.39 $20.39

-11.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$88.6 $88.6

-15.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.98 $9.98

$12.85 $12.85

-22.33%

Cappuccino

$4.08 $4.08

$5.78 $5.78

-29.41%

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

$1.27 $1.27

$2.74 $2.74

-53.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.26 $2.26

-13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.88 $6.88

-12.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$9.24 $9.24

-24.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 $0.69

$1.26 $1.26

-45.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.55 $3.55

-38.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$5.38 $5.38

-35.13%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$4.55 $4.55

-12.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$13.65 $13.65

-66.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$14.07 $14.07

-69.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$18.06 $18.06

-63.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$5.16 $5.16

-10.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.98 $1.98

-26.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.88 $3.88

17.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$4.83 $4.83

-9.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.81 $2.81

-7.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.67 $2.67

-7.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.07 $2.07

-13.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.03 $3.03

-30.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.11 $10.11

$13.90 $13.90

-27.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.05 $15.05

-1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.63 $2.63

9.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.45 $3.45

-4.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.43 $2.43

-59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.74 $40.74

$75.3 $75.3

-45.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.17 $3.17

-11.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.70 $1.70

-2.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.81 $19.81

$24.90 $24.90

-20.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.28 $1.28

-39.84%

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

$34.9K $34.9K

$35.8K $35.8K

-2.61%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.30%

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

$248 $248

$192 $192

28.94%

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

$25.34 $25.34

$69.6 $69.6

-63.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$62.2 $62.2

13.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.20 $15.20

$47.79 $47.79

-68.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$14.24 $14.24

$17.83 $17.83

-20.13%

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

$1,223 $1,223

$1,815 $1,815

-32.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.3K $27.3K

$40.6K $40.6K

-32.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 $51.2

$66.2 $66.2

-22.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.50 $46.50

$51.4 $51.4

-9.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 $85.8

$103 $103

-16.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$143 $143

-25.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 $1,105

$2,531 $2,531

-56.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$815 $815

$1,621 $1,621

-49.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 $1,675

$4,828 $4,828

-65.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 $1,265

$2,734 $2,734

-53.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,062 $9,062

$4,163 $4,163

117.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,910 $7,910

$2,723 $2,723

190.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,609 $4,609

$4,924 $4,924

-6.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

6.78

-3.69%

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

Last update for Texas City, TX: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Texas City, TX

$815 41.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8% 99% $806

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Texas City, TX

$344 17.6%

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5% 5.7% $20

Groceries & Markets

Texas City, TX

$281 14.4%

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3% 56.4% $158

Eating Out

Texas City, TX

$280 14.4%

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2% 22.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Texas City, TX

$130 6.7%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3% 25.5% $33

Getting Around

Texas City, TX

$56 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2% 73.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Texas City, TX

$44 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7% 91% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,105 in Texas City, TX versus $2,531 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 7% 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 $75 in Texas City, TX versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $281 vs $439 – making Texas City, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Texas City, TX

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

07:50 7:50 AM

Same time as Texas City, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,099

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Texas City, TX Chicago, IL 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Texas City, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,949 in Texas City, TX, $3,072 in Chicago, IL – Texas City, TX comes out roughly 37% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,923 per month in Texas City, TX and $4,608 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Texas City, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,105 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Texas City, TX and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Texas City, 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 Texas City, 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.