Chicago vs Houston - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Houston
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2799
$2240
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6454
$5311
🏠 One person rent
$1702
$1275
🏘️ Family rent
$2727
$2042
🍽️ Food expenses
$702
$591
🚐 Transport expenses
$204
$199
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5210
$4580
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
16 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
97
93
🏙️ Population
2.75M
2.3M

The cost of living in Chicago is 25% more expensive than in Houston. Cities ranked 394th and 1375th ($2799 vs $2240) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 338th and 1186th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.9 months in Chicago compared to 2 months in Houston. Ranked 2nd vs 15th best cities to live in the United States, and 16th vs 77th 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
$19.2
$18.5
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$86.5
$72
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$10.4
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.36
$6.31
 Cappuccino
$5.6
$5.42
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.99
$2.76
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1993
$1397
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1414
$997
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3215
$2394
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2313
$1614
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$108
$133
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$168
$207
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$64.8
$65.4
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.77%
6.45%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3645
$2608
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2499
$1961
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.48
$1.24
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$74.8
$71
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$17
$21.5
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.01
$0.75
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.08
$0.93
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$4.01
$3.1
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.93
$3.58
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.3
$4.7
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.4
$11.5
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.3
$11.6
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.8
$17.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.04
$3.77
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.8
$1.51
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.11
$3.58
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.56
$2.71
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.37
$2.4
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.76
$2.44
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.79
$1.42
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.14
$3.3
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.7
$14.4
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.81
$3.01
🚬 Cigarette pack
$16.5
$9.68
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$12.8
$9.36
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7
$7.92
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.84
$3.88
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.14
$2.19
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$68.2
$41.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17.1
$15
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$135
$141
💇 Haircut, simple
$28.7
$22.5
👖 Brand Jeans
$61.8
$46
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.8
$98.4
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2032
$1504
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$23423
$23708

Cost of living in other countries

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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
$2384
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2360
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2396
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2386
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2367
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2202
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2287
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2393
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2385
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2399
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2366
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2400
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2426
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2288
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2398
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2406
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2405
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2549
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2393
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2413
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2395
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$2030
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2327
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2392
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2379
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2462
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$2008
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2388
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2399
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2468
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2363
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2495
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2268
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2392
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2368
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2261
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2392
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1989
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2376
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2426

Cities near Houston

Distance City Cost of living
22 km or 14 mi Pasadena
$2240
25 km or 15 mi Pearland
$2177
25 km or 16 mi Missouri
$2216
27 km or 17 mi Deer Park
$2260
29 km or 18 mi Sugar Land
$2229
32 km or 20 mi Spring
$2094
33 km or 21 mi Friendswood
$2155
35 km or 22 mi La Porte
$2308
40 km or 25 mi Baytown
$2376
41 km or 25 mi League
$2110
42 km or 26 mi Alvin
$2095
47 km or 29 mi Rosenberg
$2209
48 km or 30 mi The Woodlands
$2730
59 km or 37 mi Texas City
$2067
62 km or 38 mi Conroe
$1828
76 km or 47 mi Galveston
$1948
81 km or 50 mi Lake Jackson
$2129
108 km or 67 mi Huntsville
$2020
126 km or 78 mi Beaumont
$1592
129 km or 80 mi College Station
$1900
138 km or 86 mi Bryan
$1993
140 km or 87 mi Port Arthur
$1881
186 km or 115 mi Lufkin
$1883
188 km or 117 mi Victoria
$2220
203 km or 126 mi Sulphur
$2029
215 km or 134 mi Lake Charles
$1975
217 km or 135 mi Nacogdoches
$1493
229 km or 142 mi Pflugerville
$2196
234 km or 145 mi Austin
$2416
236 km or 146 mi Round Rock
$2148
239 km or 149 mi Temple
$2136
242 km or 150 mi Kyle
$2222
242 km or 150 mi Georgetown
$2188
247 km or 153 mi San Marcos
$2215
249 km or 155 mi Cedar Park
$2221
250 km or 156 mi Seguin
$2210
254 km or 158 mi Leander
$2241
261 km or 162 mi Waco
$2279
262 km or 163 mi Harker Heights
$2075
264 km or 164 mi New Braunfels
$2233