Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Lake Forest, CA

For one person, living costs are similar in Chicago, IL and in Lake Forest, CA: $3,072 and $3,057 a month, rent and utilities included.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
146

Cost of Living Index in Lake Forest, CA
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Lake Forest, CA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Lake Forest, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,057

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Lake Forest, CA

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 Forest, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,057 in Lake Forest, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Lake Forest, CA $3,057

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,627 in Lake Forest, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Lake Forest, CA $4,627

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $6,196 in Lake Forest, CA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Lake Forest, CA $6,196

Chicago, IL and Lake Forest, CA have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Chicago, IL and Lake Forest, CA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Lake Forest, CA by 126%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$24.56 $24.56

-16.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$99.7 $99.7

-11.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$11.72 $11.72

9.64%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.84 $5.84

-1.03%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.06 $3.06

-10.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.44 $2.44

-7.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$8.68 $8.68

-20.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$9.62 $9.62

-3.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.15 $1.15

9.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$5.00 $5.00

-29.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.93 $4.93

9.13%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$5.44 $5.44

-16.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.64 $12.64

7.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$15.80 $15.80

-10.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$14.18 $14.18

27.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.19 $5.19

-0.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.79 $1.79

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.18 $4.18

-7.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$6.33 $6.33

-23.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.36 $3.36

-16.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.78 $2.78

-3.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.94 $1.94

6.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.30 $2.30

31.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.63 $11.63

19.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.97 $14.97

0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.71 $1.71

53.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.67 $2.67

29.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.57 $3.57

-11.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.91 $1.91

-10.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$35.48 $35.48

-29.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.60 $1.60

-20.00%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.9K $27.9K

28.38%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.30%

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

$192 $192

$271 $271

-29.13%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$72.6 $72.6

-4.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$80.2 $80.2

-22.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$99.2 $99.2

-51.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$15.18 $15.18

17.46%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,716 $1,716

5.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$35.9K $35.9K

13.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$72.5 $72.5

-8.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$39.98 $39.98

28.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$80.9 $80.9

27.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$163 $163

-12.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$2,127 $2,127

19.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,502 $1,502

7.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$3,202 $3,202

50.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,761 $2,761

-1.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$8,048 $8,048

-48.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$6,904 $6,904

-60.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$6,348 $6,348

-22.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.56

3.35%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Lake Forest, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Lake Forest, CA

$1.5K 49.1% 7.4% $119

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Lake Forest, CA

$442 14.5% 0.7% $3.2

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Lake Forest, CA

$386 12.6% 12.3% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Lake Forest, CA

$424 13.9% 30.9% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Lake Forest, CA

$160 5.2% 2% $3.3

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Lake Forest, CA

$13 * 0.4% 86.5% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Lake Forest, CA

$130 4.2% 55.2% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $2,127 in Lake Forest, CA. 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 29% higher in Lake Forest, CA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $100 in Lake Forest, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $442 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Lake Forest, CA

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

04:52 4:52 AM

2 h behind Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

19,367

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Lake Forest, CA 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Lake Forest, CA

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 Forest, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,586 in Lake Forest, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lake Forest, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,127 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,815 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,716 in Lake Forest, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $3,057 in Lake Forest, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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