Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Lake Charles, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Charles, LA: $2,261 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Lake Charles, LA
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Lake Charles, LA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Lake Charles, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,261

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,261 in Lake Charles, LA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Lake Charles, LA $2,261

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,218 in Lake Charles, LA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Lake Charles, LA $3,218

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,174 in Lake Charles, LA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Lake Charles, LA $4,174

Chicago, IL costs about 39% more than Lake Charles, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Lake Charles, LA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Lake Charles, LA by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$26.37 $26.37

-21.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$70.0 $70.0

28.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.80 $10.80

19.81%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.32 $5.32

5.26%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.01 $2.01

31.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.22 $1.22

86.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.14 $5.14

35.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$5.98 $5.98

47.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.40 $1.40

-9.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$4.13 $4.13

-7.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$6.07 $6.07

-12.69%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$5.48 $5.48

-13.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$15.31 $15.31

-8.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$10.03 $10.03

45.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$15.57 $15.57

20.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.37 $4.37

18.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.32 $1.32

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.00 $2.00

96.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.68 $5.68

-12.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$4.41 $4.41

-37.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.21 $2.21

24.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.26 $2.26

-1.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.57 $2.57

15.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$8.31 $8.31

68.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$16.90 $16.90

-9.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.54 $2.54

1.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.91 $3.91

-10.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.45 $3.45

-3.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.52 $1.52

-5.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$34.96 $34.96

-30.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.86 $0.86

46.51%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$33.2K $33.2K

5.36%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.82%

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

$193 $193

$263 $263

-26.75%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$71.4 $71.4

-4.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$57.0 $57.0

7.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$32.38 $32.38

67.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$13.86 $13.86

101.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$11.89 $11.89

49.20%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,542 $1,542

7.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$10.3K $10.3K

202.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$25.43 $25.43

159.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$43.92 $43.92

16.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$59.5 $59.5

68.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$119 $119

18.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,009 $1,009

142.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$911 $911

84.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,555 $1,555

203.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,271 $1,271

119.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$1,370 $1,370

199.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$1,395 $1,395

90.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$3,514 $3,514

38.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.66

2.25%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lake Charles, LA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Lake Charles, LA

$911 40.3% 45.7% $767

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Lake Charles, LA

$422 18.7% 6% $27

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Lake Charles, LA

$358 15.8% 4.2% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Lake Charles, LA

$391 17.3% 21.5% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Lake Charles, LA

$112 4.9% 30.7% $50

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Lake Charles, LA

$11 * 0.5% 88.4% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Lake Charles, LA

$56 2.5% 37.3% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,009 in Lake Charles, 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 38% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $70.0 in Lake Charles, LA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $422 – making Lake Charles, LA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Lake Charles, LA

🕒 Local time

10:40 10:40 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

84,872

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Lake Charles, LA 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,261 in Lake Charles, LA – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,392 in Lake Charles, LA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lake Charles, LA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $70.0 in Lake Charles, LA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lake Charles, LA, where all-in costs run around $2,261, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Lake Charles, LA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,261 in Lake Charles, LA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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