Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Baton Rouge, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Baton Rouge, LA: $2,240 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Baton Rouge, LA
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Baton Rouge, LA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Baton Rouge, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,240

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Baton Rouge, 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 Baton Rouge, LA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,240 in Baton Rouge, LA.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Baton Rouge, LA $2,240

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,302 in Baton Rouge, LA.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Baton Rouge, LA $3,302

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $4,364 in Baton Rouge, LA.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Baton Rouge, LA $4,364

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 36% more expensive than in Baton Rouge, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Baton Rouge, LA 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$14.95 $14.95

38.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$84.0 $84.0

6.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.01 $12.01

9.83%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$6.15 $6.15

-7.97%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.19 $2.19

20.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.36 $1.36

67.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.41 $5.41

26.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.63 $7.63

15.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.29 $1.29

-3.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.88 $2.88

29.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.37 $2.37

127.43%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$2.96 $2.96

60.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.95 $12.95

6.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.41 $14.41

-0.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$23.32 $23.32

-21.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$7.23 $7.23

-27.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.99 $2.99

-33.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$6.23 $6.23

-34.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.35 $4.35

14.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.63 $3.63

-26.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.64 $2.64

0.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.27 $2.27

-1.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.75 $1.75

78.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.20 $9.20

50.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$18.65 $18.65

-20.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.85 $1.85

37.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.05 $2.05

71.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.77 $1.77

37.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$56.1 $56.1

31.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.98 $3.98

-20.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.26 $1.26

10.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$60.9 $60.9

-58.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.93 $0.93

29.03%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.9K $27.9K

25.75%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.0K $27.0K

-1.06%

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

$194 $194

$138 $138

40.43%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$44.40 $44.40

56.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$69.6 $69.6

-11.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$47.87 $47.87

0.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$10.18 $10.18

168.57%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.85 $11.85

50.30%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,909 $1,909

-6.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$10.0K $10.0K

218.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$33.18 $33.18

101.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$42.39 $42.39

23.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$86.5 $86.5

17.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$72.2 $72.2

99.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,096 $2,096

20.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,010 $1,010

56.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,551 $2,551

85.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,510 $1,510

78.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,761 $1,761

137.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,619 $1,619

70.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,366 $3,366

46.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.32

7.75%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Baton Rouge, LA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Baton Rouge, LA

$1K 45.1% 36% $568

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Baton Rouge, LA

$442 19.7% 1.3% $5.7

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Baton Rouge, LA

$286 12.8% 17.1% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Baton Rouge, LA

$252 11.3% 22.4% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Baton Rouge, LA

$105 4.7% 35.7% $59

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Baton Rouge, LA

$73 3.3% 21.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Baton Rouge, LA

$72 3.2% 14.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $2,096 in Baton Rouge, LA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 46% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $84 in Baton Rouge, LA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $442 per month, with Baton Rouge, LA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Baton Rouge, LA

🕒 Local time

07:51 7:51 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

229,493

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Baton Rouge, LA 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Baton Rouge, 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 Baton Rouge, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,240 in Baton Rouge, LA, so Baton Rouge, LA is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% 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: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,096 in Baton Rouge, LA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,794 in Chicago, IL versus $1,909 in Baton Rouge, LA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Baton Rouge, LA – a meal for two runs $84 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,240 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Baton Rouge, LA but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Baton Rouge, LA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Baton Rouge, LA wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.