Chicago vs Dallas
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Chicago edges it, 66 to 64, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Chicago is stronger on getting there & around; Dallas on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
America's great architecture city on the lake
Full Chicago profile →Plan a trip to Chicago →Where they differ
- Getting there & around. Chicago leads on getting there & around, 76 to 55, against Dallas. Non-stop airport destinations: 288 vs 278.
- Climate. Dallas leads on climate, 42 to 33, against Chicago. Comfortable months: 4 vs 5.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, air quality, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Chicago if you want
- faster internet (73.5 Mbps measured)
- more flights and easier getting around
Pick Dallas if you want
- to spend about $15 less a month
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Chicago | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 19 | 19 ✓ |
| Safety | 51 | 51 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 |
| Internet | 79 ✓ | 74 |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 76 ✓ | 55 |
| Climate | 33 | 42 ✓ |
| Air quality | 92 | 92 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 96 | 96 |
Cost
| Metric | Chicago | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $3,108 | $3,093 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Chicago | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 5.76 | 5.76 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 60.3 | 60.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 |
| Life expectancy | 78.5 yrs | 78.5 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Chicago | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 73.5 Mbps ✓ | 56.4 Mbps |
| Upload | 11.7 Mbps ✓ | 9.3 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Chicago | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | home country | home country |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Chicago | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 288 ✓ | 278 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 3 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Chicago | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 5 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.7 µg/m³ | 8.5 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Chicago or Dallas?
- Dallas is cheaper: about $3,093 per month versus $3,108 for one person.
- Is Chicago or Dallas safer?
- Chicago and Dallas score the same on safety (51), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Chicago or Dallas?
- Chicago: a measured median of 73.5 Mbps versus 56.4 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Chicago vs New York City
- Chicago vs Washington DC
- Dallas vs Philadelphia
- Dallas vs San Francisco
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (all items); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.3. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.