Chicago vs Houston - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Houston
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2678
$2265
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6655
$5664
🏠 One person rent
$1596
$1305
🏘️ Family rent
$2946
$2467
🍽️ Food expenses
$700
$581
🚐 Transport expenses
$200
$212
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4876
$4390
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
16 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
95
91
🏙️ Population
2.75M
2.3M

The cost of living in Chicago is 18% more expensive than in Houston. Cities ranked 529th and 1229th ($2678 vs $2265) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 483rd and 1115th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 1.9 months in Houston. Ranked 3rd vs 14th best cities to live in the United States, and 23rd vs 97th among the best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Chicago vs Houston infographic

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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
$21.9
$17.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$90.6
$76
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$10.3
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7
$5.88
 Cappuccino
$5.4
$5.4
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.95
$2.71
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1841
$1390
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1327
$1037
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3729
$2766
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2474
$2058
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$104
$132
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$159
$202
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$62.1
$65.6
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.68%
6.58%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3391
$2714
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2689
$1949
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.48
$1.25
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$75.1
$71.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.1
$23.9
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.06
$0.79
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.94
$0.92
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.68
$3
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.61
$3.4
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.13
$4.07
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.5
$11.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.2
$11.4
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.3
$16.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.67
$4.29
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.84
$1.37
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.36
$3.95
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.43
$3.04
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.18
$2.73
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.71
$2.43
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.81
$1.34
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.85
$3.01
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.9
$14.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.04
$2.15
🚬 Cigarette pack
$15
$9.62
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.5
$9.29
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.02
$5.13
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.63
$3.64
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.76
$2.46
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$63
$37.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$14.8
$14.5
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$127
$127
💇 Haircut, simple
$29.8
$21.6
👖 Brand Jeans
$59
$50.4
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.4
$98.6
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2114
$1470
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$24502
$18964

Cost of living in other countries

ChicagoHouston

Cost of living

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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
$2425
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2421
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2510
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2426
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2444
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2194
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2256
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2401
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2418
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2384
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2314
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2334
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2389
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2264
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2377
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2392
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2363
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2509
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2359
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2393
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2360
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1938
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2362
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2363
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2344
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2396
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1948
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2350
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2378
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2446
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2369
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2506
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2342
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2367
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2342
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2227
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2345
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1954
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2351
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2371

Cities near Houston

Distance City Cost of living
22 km or 14 mi Pasadena
$2182
25 km or 15 mi Pearland
$2108
25 km or 16 mi Missouri
$2087
27 km or 17 mi Deer Park
$2196
29 km or 18 mi Sugar Land
$2028
32 km or 20 mi Spring
$2093
33 km or 21 mi Friendswood
$2097
35 km or 22 mi La Porte
$2232
40 km or 25 mi Baytown
$2311
41 km or 25 mi League
$2065
42 km or 26 mi Alvin
$2056
47 km or 29 mi Rosenberg
$2107
48 km or 30 mi The Woodlands
$2698
59 km or 37 mi Texas City
$2014
62 km or 38 mi Conroe
$1799
76 km or 47 mi Galveston
$1855
81 km or 50 mi Lake Jackson
$2089
108 km or 67 mi Huntsville
$2089
126 km or 78 mi Beaumont
$1673
129 km or 80 mi College Station
$1853
138 km or 86 mi Bryan
$1944
140 km or 87 mi Port Arthur
$1907
186 km or 115 mi Lufkin
$1878
188 km or 117 mi Victoria
$2215
203 km or 126 mi Sulphur
$2037
215 km or 134 mi Lake Charles
$1986
217 km or 135 mi Nacogdoches
$1510
229 km or 142 mi Pflugerville
$2218
234 km or 145 mi Austin
$2455
236 km or 146 mi Round Rock
$2163
239 km or 149 mi Temple
$2134
242 km or 150 mi Kyle
$2223
242 km or 150 mi Georgetown
$2192
247 km or 153 mi San Marcos
$2224
249 km or 155 mi Cedar Park
$2244
250 km or 156 mi Seguin
$2182
254 km or 158 mi Leander
$2260
261 km or 162 mi Waco
$2230
262 km or 163 mi Harker Heights
$2044
264 km or 164 mi New Braunfels
$2182