Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, TX and Chicago, IL 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Chicago, IL is 18.3% higher than in Houston, TX (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Chicago, IL is 23.9% higher than in Houston, TX | |
| Rent Prices in Chicago, IL are 34.8% higher than in Houston, TX | |
| Restaurant Prices in Chicago, IL are 21.5% higher than in Houston, TX | |
| Groceries Prices in Chicago, IL are 23.9% higher than in Houston, TX | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Chicago, IL is 8.1% lower than in Houston, TX | |
Restaurants | Houston, TX Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 20.00 $ | 25.00 $ | +25.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 80.00 $ | 100.00 $ | +25.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 9.00 $ | 11.75 $ | +30.6 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 6.00 $ | 7.00 $ | +16.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 7.00 $ | 8.12 $ | +16.1 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.32 $ | 5.61 $ | +5.5 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.64 $ | 2.98 $ | +12.7 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.07 $ | 2.49 $ | +20.3 % |
Markets | Houston, TX Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 3.41 $ | 3.77 $ | +10.8 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 2.78 $ | 3.71 $ | +33.4 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.60 $ | 2.61 $ | +63.3 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 3.61 $ | 3.88 $ | +7.5 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 5.54 $ | 6.93 $ | +25.1 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.23 $ | 6.48 $ | +23.9 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 7.97 $ | 8.35 $ | +4.7 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.02 $ | 2.34 $ | +15.7 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.63 $ | 0.84 $ | +32.5 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.80 $ | 1.98 $ | +9.9 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 1.28 $ | 2.08 $ | +62.9 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.33 $ | 1.15 $ | -13.5 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.09 $ | 1.24 $ | +14.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 1.87 $ | 2.43 $ | +29.5 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.02 $ | 2.73 $ | +35.4 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 12.95 $ | 15.00 $ | +15.8 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.00 $ | 2.60 $ | +30.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.40 $ | 3.95 $ | +16.4 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 10.00 $ | 16.44 $ | +64.4 % |
Transportation | Houston, TX Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 1.25 $ | 2.50 $ | +100.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 77.50 $ | 75.00 $ | -3.2 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.88 $ | 3.25 $ | -16.1 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.00 $ | 2.25 $ | -25.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 30.00 $ | 25.00 $ | -16.7 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 2.90 $ | 4.07 $ | +40.3 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 32,500.00 $ | 31,000.00 $ | -4.6 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 25,462.48 $ | 26,848.85 $ | +5.4 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Houston, TX Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 194.25 $ | 171.18 $ | -11.9 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 60.28 $ | 58.30 $ | -3.3 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 68.08 $ | 61.00 $ | -10.4 % |
Sports And Leisure | Houston, TX Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 40.60 $ | 75.44 $ | +85.8 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 10.83 $ | 19.57 $ | +80.7 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.00 $ | 15.00 $ | 0.0 % |
Childcare | Houston, TX Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1,475.00 $ | 2,490.00 $ | +68.8 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 18,933.33 $ | 42,300.00 $ | +123.4 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Houston, TX Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 48.18 $ | 64.42 $ | +33.7 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 44.25 $ | 53.46 $ | +20.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 103.11 $ | 98.52 $ | -4.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 133.31 $ | 147.50 $ | +10.6 % |
Rent Per Month | Houston, TX Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 1,644.48 $ | 2,341.73 $ | +42.4 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,207.17 $ | 1,532.88 $ | +27.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 3,161.90 $ | 4,476.19 $ | +41.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,302.55 $ | 2,859.09 $ | +24.2 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Houston, TX Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 252.79 $ | 312.04 $ | +23.4 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 180.01 $ | 251.71 $ | +39.8 % |
Salaries And Financing | Houston, TX Edit |
Chicago, IL Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 4,351.24 $ | 4,955.97 $ | +13.9 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.58 | 6.64 | +1.0 % |
| Last update: | January 2025 | January 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 166 | 197 |
Moving to Houston, TX? Explore:
Moving to Chicago, IL? Explore:
Cities near Houston, TX: | Cost of Living in College Station, Texas | 94.28 miles |
| Cost of Living in Austin, Texas | 161.51 miles |
| Cost of Living in Waco, Texas | 184.46 miles |
| Cost of Living in San Antonio, Texas | 193.85 miles |
| Cost of Living in Longview, Texas | 213.57 miles |
| Cost of Living in Corpus Christi, Texas | 216.46 miles |
| Cost of Living in Dallas, Texas | 245.09 miles |
| Cost of Living in Shreveport, Louisiana | 245.18 miles |
Cities near Chicago, IL: | Cost of Living in Oak Park, Illinois | 9.14 miles |
| Cost of Living in Evanston, Illinois | 14.20 miles |
| Cost of Living in La Grange Park, Illinois | 15.03 miles |
| Cost of Living in Franklin Park, Illinois | 16.69 miles |
| Cost of Living in Des Plaines, Illinois | 20.82 miles |
| Cost of Living in East Chicago, Indiana | 23.76 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wheaton, Illinois | 25.81 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bolingbrook, Illinois | 29.21 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wheeling, Illinois | 29.29 miles |
| Cost of Living in Naperville, Illinois | 30.13 miles |