Chicago vs Houston - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Houston
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2822
$2265
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6502
$5394
🏠 One person rent
$1695
$1281
🏘️ Family rent
$2718
$2031
🍽️ Food expenses
$730
$603
🚐 Transport expenses
$192
$201
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5026
$4606
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
17 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
95
95
🏙️ Population
2.75M
2.3M

The cost of living in Chicago is 25% more expensive than in Houston. Cities ranked 375th and 1354th ($2822 vs $2265) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 311th and 1137th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 2 months in Houston. Ranked 3rd vs 1st best cities to live in the United States, and 22nd vs 16th 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
$19.9
$18.7
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$99.7
$73.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$13.5
$10.8
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$6.93
$6.31
 Cappuccino
$5.6
$5.52
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.05
$2.74
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2002
$1411
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1406
$1003
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3205
$2380
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2314
$1609
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$101
$132
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$157
$204
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$68
$63.9
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.66%
6.39%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3759
$2542
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2521
$1944
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.5
$1.24
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$75.2
$71.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$14.5
$21.8
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.99
$0.72
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.24
$0.9
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$4.16
$3.19
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.38
$3.69
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.59
$5.06
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.3
$11.4
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.8
$11.5
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$17.6
$16.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.36
$3.95
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.81
$1.67
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.9
$3.76
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.44
$2.92
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.56
$2.58
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.56
$2.6
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.8
$1.51
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.62
$3.17
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.1
$14.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.03
$3.31
🚬 Cigarette pack
$16.9
$9.24
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$9.34
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.06
$8
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.23
$3.92
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.21
$2.21
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$69.5
$43.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$16.7
$14.9
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$154
$149
💇 Haircut, simple
$33
$22.6
👖 Brand Jeans
$60.8
$46.3
👟 Brand Sneakers
$99.7
$101
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1863
$1729
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$24172
$22380

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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
$2429
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2374
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2432
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2406
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2396
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2202
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2300
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2449
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2418
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2443
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2381
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2408
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2466
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2295
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2439
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2454
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2433
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2521
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2438
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2475
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2434
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1906
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2411
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2440
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2425
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2503
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1889
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2438
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2415
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2477
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2434
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2525
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2354
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2421
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2412
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2311
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2398
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1862
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2425
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2434

Cities near Houston

Distance City Cost of living
22 km or 14 mi Pasadena
$2228
25 km or 15 mi Pearland
$2150
25 km or 16 mi Missouri
$2094
27 km or 17 mi Deer Park
$2260
29 km or 18 mi Sugar Land
$2071
32 km or 20 mi Spring
$2112
33 km or 21 mi Friendswood
$2136
35 km or 22 mi La Porte
$2297
40 km or 25 mi Baytown
$2386
41 km or 25 mi League
$2102
42 km or 26 mi Alvin
$2072
47 km or 29 mi Rosenberg
$2114
48 km or 30 mi The Woodlands
$2738
59 km or 37 mi Texas City
$2048
62 km or 38 mi Conroe
$1836
76 km or 47 mi Galveston
$1897
81 km or 50 mi Lake Jackson
$2112
108 km or 67 mi Huntsville
$2022
126 km or 78 mi Beaumont
$1605
129 km or 80 mi College Station
$1913
138 km or 86 mi Bryan
$2000
140 km or 87 mi Port Arthur
$1900
186 km or 115 mi Lufkin
$1887
188 km or 117 mi Victoria
$2226
203 km or 126 mi Sulphur
$1971
215 km or 134 mi Lake Charles
$1904
217 km or 135 mi Nacogdoches
$1510
229 km or 142 mi Pflugerville
$2115
234 km or 145 mi Austin
$2444
236 km or 146 mi Round Rock
$2027
239 km or 149 mi Temple
$2153
242 km or 150 mi Kyle
$2237
242 km or 150 mi Georgetown
$2125
247 km or 153 mi San Marcos
$2229
249 km or 155 mi Cedar Park
$2171
250 km or 156 mi Seguin
$2200
254 km or 158 mi Leander
$2187
261 km or 162 mi Waco
$2285
262 km or 163 mi Harker Heights
$2059
264 km or 164 mi New Braunfels
$2221