Chicago vs Houston - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Houston
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2851
$2261
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6527
$5455
🏠 One person rent
$1714
$1267
🏘️ Family rent
$2737
$2011
🍽️ Food expenses
$704
$622
🚐 Transport expenses
$212
$191
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5090
$4659
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
17 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
95
96
🏙️ Population
2.75M
2.3M

The cost of living in Chicago is 26% more expensive than in Houston. Cities ranked 358th and 1367th ($2851 vs $2261) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 300th and 1144th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 2.1 months in Houston. Ranked 3rd vs 1st best cities to live in the United States, and 18th vs 14th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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Prices in Chicago vs Houston

Prices for goods and services in Chicago and Houston are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Chicago Houston
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$19.6
$20.7
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$84.3
$75.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12.7
$9.99
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.35
$6.03
☕ Cappuccino
$6.06
$5.49
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.85
$2.69
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2011
$1416
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1414
$994
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3203
$2413
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2316
$1595
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$117
$117
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$180
$180
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$63.3
$71.6
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.32%
6.18%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3899
$2519
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2568
$1831
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.51
$1.26
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$82.6
$74.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.5
$18.6
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.12
$0.83
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.2
$0.86
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.67
$3.37
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.62
$4.08
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.11
$4.25
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.2
$11.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.5
$13.1
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.1
$17.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.78
$3.99
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.86
$1.49
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.96
$3.35
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.01
$2.99
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.39
$2.5
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.63
$2.64
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.79
$1.7
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.71
$2.91
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16
$13.4
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.02
$2.79
🚬 Cigarette pack
$17.4
$10
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$9.3
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.05
$8.05
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.22
$3.87
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.31
$2.19
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$74.6
$38.4
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17
$14.9
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$177
$148
💇 Haircut, simple
$32.8
$22.2
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.9
$51.5
👟 Brand Sneakers
$105
$105
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1582
$1987
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$27880
$22291

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2444
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2399
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2440
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2425
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2423
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2232
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2309
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2454
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2430
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2463
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2376
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2394
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2461
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2323
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2444
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2483
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2436
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2569
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2436
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2508
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2425
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1751
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2440
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2443
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2439
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2580
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1761
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2429
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2400
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2508
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2463
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2543
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2418
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2438
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2425
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2406
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2418
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1784
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2423
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2453

Cities near Houston

Distance City Cost of living
22 km or 14 mi Pasadena
$2142
25 km or 15 mi Pearland
$2064
25 km or 16 mi Missouri
$2093
27 km or 17 mi Deer Park
$2126
29 km or 18 mi Sugar Land
$2011
32 km or 20 mi Spring
$2107
33 km or 21 mi Friendswood
$2025
35 km or 22 mi La Porte
$2124
40 km or 25 mi Baytown
$2190
41 km or 25 mi League
$1990
42 km or 26 mi Alvin
$1916
47 km or 29 mi Rosenberg
$2096
48 km or 30 mi The Woodlands
$2754
59 km or 37 mi Texas City
$2011
62 km or 38 mi Conroe
$1860
76 km or 47 mi Galveston
$1893
81 km or 50 mi Lake Jackson
$2033
108 km or 67 mi Huntsville
$1900
126 km or 78 mi Beaumont
$1621
129 km or 80 mi College Station
$1843
138 km or 86 mi Bryan
$1950
140 km or 87 mi Port Arthur
$1895
186 km or 115 mi Lufkin
$1872
188 km or 117 mi Victoria
$2003
203 km or 126 mi Sulphur
$1977
215 km or 134 mi Lake Charles
$1917
217 km or 135 mi Nacogdoches
$1516
229 km or 142 mi Pflugerville
$2141
234 km or 145 mi Austin
$2475
236 km or 146 mi Round Rock
$2058
239 km or 149 mi Temple
$2070
242 km or 150 mi Kyle
$2168
242 km or 150 mi Georgetown
$2110
247 km or 153 mi San Marcos
$2125
249 km or 155 mi Cedar Park
$2151
250 km or 156 mi Seguin
$2120
254 km or 158 mi Leander
$2149
261 km or 162 mi Waco
$2066
262 km or 163 mi Harker Heights
$1937
264 km or 164 mi New Braunfels
$2123