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Austin vs Chicago cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Austin
๐บ๐ธ Chicago
At a glance
- Where Chicago is clearly cheaper: Street food (38%โ), Laundry (20%โ)
- Where Austin is clearly cheaper: Transit (55%โ), Entry ticket (45%โ), Scooter rental (39%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Chicago is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Austin 2 vs Chicago 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Austin | Chicago | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 20$20 | $ 17$17 | Chicago โ15% |
| Street food1 item | $ 13$13 | $ 8$8 | Chicago โ38% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 45$45 | $ 42$42 | Chicago โ7% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | $ 5.5$5.5 | Chicago โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 7$7 | $ 7.5$7.5 | Austin โ7% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 15$15 | $ 15$15 | similar |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | $ 1.8$1.8 | Chicago โ10% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.5$2.5 | $ 2.7$2.7 | Austin โ7% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 15$15 | $ 17$17 | Austin โ12% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 9$9 | $ 10$10 | Austin โ10% |
| Transitone ride | $ 1.25$1.25 | $ 2.75$2.75 | Austin โ55% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | $ 57$57 | Austin โ39% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 150$150 | $ 180$180 | Austin โ17% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 1,300$1,300 | $ 1,950$1,950 | Austin โ33% |
| Laundry | $ 5$5 | $ 4$4 | Chicago โ20% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | $ 30$30 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 33$33 | $ 35$35 | Austin โ6% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 90$90 | $ 85$85 | Chicago โ6% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 65$65 | $ 60$60 | Chicago โ8% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 18$18 | $ 33$33 | Austin โ45% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Austin or Chicago?
Austin is 14% cheaper than Chicago. Daily budget $310 vs $334; a month $5,431 vs $6,737.
Which is easier to travel, Austin or Chicago?
Chicago is easier: Chicago 1.4/5 vs Austin 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Austin and Chicago?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Austin is about $5,431 and Chicago about $6,737 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.