Compare My CityHouston, TX is approximately 5% cheaper than Chicago, IL, using Chicago, IL as the comparison base.
Based on overall price levels from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. 100 equals the national average. Figures represent the wider Chicago, IL and Houston, TX metropolitan areas, not city limits.
⇄ Swap / reverse this comparisonWhere the difference lies
The headline gap is 5%, but housing is where it really shows. Housing rents in Houston, TX run 7% lower than in Chicago, IL (104.5 vs 112.0), while everyday goods and services sit closer together. For most people, housing rents move the most when relocating between these two metros, so weigh that gap more heavily than the overall figure.
Category comparison
| Category | Chicago, IL | Houston, TX | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 103.6 | 98.6 | -5% |
| Goods | 107.3 | 100.6 | -6% |
| Housing rents | 112.0 | 104.5 | -7% |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 95.3 | +14% |
| Other services | 100.5 | 95.6 | -5% |
Houston, TX differs from Chicago, IL the most in utilities — about 14% higher in Houston, TX — while the closest is other services.
Estimated salary equivalent in Houston, TX
| $50,000 in Chicago, IL | $47,587 |
| $75,000 in Chicago, IL | $71,380 |
| $100,000 in Chicago, IL | $95,174 |
| $150,000 in Chicago, IL | $142,761 |
| $200,000 in Chicago, IL | $190,347 |
Each row shows the estimated salary equivalent in Houston, TX, based on regional price levels, for the amount earned in Chicago, IL.
Before tax. This estimate does not account for individual spending habits, household size, taxes, childcare, healthcare, transport choices or personal housing circumstances.