Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Alexandria, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria, LA: $2,082 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria, LA
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Alexandria, LA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Alexandria, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,082

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Alexandria, LA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in Alexandria, LA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL versus $2,082 in Alexandria, LA.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Alexandria, LA $2,082

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,631 in Chicago, IL versus $2,933 in Alexandria, LA.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Alexandria, LA $2,933

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,077 in Chicago, IL versus $3,783 in Alexandria, LA.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Alexandria, LA $3,783

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 53% more expensive than in Alexandria, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 136% above, Alexandria, LA 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$16.12 $16.12

33.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$51.2 $51.2

73.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$9.72 $9.72

35.80%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.30 $5.30

5.47%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.49 $2.49

5.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.14 $2.14

5.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$5.93 $5.93

19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$8.19 $8.19

12.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.34 $1.34

-4.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.68 $1.68

128.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$6.08 $6.08

-16.61%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$5.51 $5.51

-12.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$8.97 $8.97

57.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$6.44 $6.44

126.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$15.67 $15.67

19.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.13 $5.13

1.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.34 $1.34

49.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$5.35 $5.35

-25.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.44 $5.44

-8.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$4.36 $4.36

-36.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.24 $2.24

18.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.28 $2.28

-6.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.63 $2.63

17.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$8.89 $8.89

80.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$17.03 $17.03

-10.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.55 $2.55

2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.89 $3.89

-11.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.57 $3.57

-10.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.52 $1.52

-8.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$34.46 $34.46

-27.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.74 $0.74

67.57%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.2K $37.2K

$35.9K $35.9K

3.50%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

1.19%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$192 $192

$186 $186

3.47%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$67.8 $67.8

$70.7 $70.7

-4.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$73.0 $73.0

-16.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$12.58 $12.58

41.49%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,554 $1,554

$1,577 $1,577

-1.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$10.1K $10.1K

210.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$57.9 $57.9

17.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$42.48 $42.48

19.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$87.3 $87.3

16.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$122 $122

17.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$936 $936

154.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$913 $913

87.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$1,454 $1,454

221.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$1,318 $1,318

107.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$1,266 $1,266

228.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$1,271 $1,271

111.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$2,989 $2,989

63.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.66

1.65%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alexandria, LA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Alexandria, LA

$913 43.8% 46.7% $799

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Alexandria, LA

$378 18.1% 16.3% $74

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Alexandria, LA

$286 13.8% 18.9% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Alexandria, LA

$330 15.8% 2.7% $8.5

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Alexandria, LA

$139 6.7% 14.8% $24

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Alexandria, LA

$11 * 0.5% 88.3% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Alexandria, LA

$25 * 1.2% 71.8% $64

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,383 in Chicago, IL and $936 in Alexandria, LA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 64% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $89.0 in Chicago, IL vs $51.0 in Alexandria, LA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $378 per month, with Alexandria, LA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Alexandria, LA

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

160,035

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Alexandria, LA 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Alexandria, LA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chicago, IL vs Alexandria, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria, LA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 64% higher in Chicago, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $936 in Alexandria, LA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,082 in Alexandria, LA – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,082 in Alexandria, LA versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Alexandria, LA but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria, LA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Alexandria, LA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chicago, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Alexandria, LA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.