Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lafayette, LA: $2,365 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Lafayette, LA
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Lafayette, LA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Lafayette, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,365 in Lafayette, LA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Lafayette, LA $2,365

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,578 in Lafayette, LA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Lafayette, LA $3,578

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,791 in Lafayette, LA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Lafayette, LA $4,791

Chicago, IL costs about 28% more than Lafayette, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Lafayette, LA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Lafayette, LA by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$25.39 $25.39

-18.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$100 $100

-10.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.15 $10.15

29.95%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.39 $5.39

5.01%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.87 $2.87

-8.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.81 $1.81

25.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.55 $5.55

23.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.15 $6.15

43.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.14 $1.14

9.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.10 $4.10

-9.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.53 $3.53

52.69%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.52 $5.52

-14.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.08 $10.08

37.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.27 $10.27

40.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$15.82 $15.82

16.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.08 $5.08

2.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.43 $1.43

38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.37 $5.37

-24.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.51 $5.51

-9.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.68 $2.68

-0.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.31 $3.31

-19.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.25 $2.25

-0.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.37 $2.37

32.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.42 $9.42

46.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.53 $16.53

-9.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.84 $1.84

38.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.71 $3.71

-5.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.98 $0.98

147.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$59.7 $59.7

23.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.54 $2.54

25.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.01 $1.01

37.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$35.70 $35.70

-29.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.98 $0.98

22.45%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.8K $28.8K

21.63%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.07%

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

$194 $194

$225 $225

-13.40%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$53.3 $53.3

30.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$59.2 $59.2

4.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$56.8 $56.8

-15.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$21.23 $21.23

28.78%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.83 $11.83

50.55%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,532 $1,532

17.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$10.4K $10.4K

206.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$56.6 $56.6

18.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$42.83 $42.83

21.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$85.2 $85.2

19.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$120 $120

20.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,255 $1,255

101.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$980 $980

61.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,758 $1,758

169.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,611 $1,611

67.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,801 $1,801

132.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,464 $1,464

89.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,504 $3,504

40.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.3

8.10%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lafayette, LA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Lafayette, LA

$980 41.4% 37.9% $598

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Lafayette, LA

$402 17% 10.1% $45

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Lafayette, LA

$357 15.1% 3.5% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Lafayette, LA

$337 14.3% 3.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Lafayette, LA

$137 5.8% 16.5% $27

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Lafayette, LA

$71 3% 23.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Lafayette, LA

$80 3.4% 3.7% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,255 in Lafayette, LA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 41% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $100 in Lafayette, LA. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $402 in Lafayette, LA – so Lafayette, LA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Lafayette, LA

🕒 Local time

08:29 8:29 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

61,244

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Lafayette, LA 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,365 in Lafayette, LA – Lafayette, LA comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,547 in Lafayette, LA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lafayette, LA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,255 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $100 in Lafayette, LA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,365 in Lafayette, LA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lafayette, LA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Lafayette, LA. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.