Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Lake Havasu City, AZ Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Lake Havasu City, AZ

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Chicago, IL is 68.3% more expensive than Lake Havasu City, AZ without rent, and 22.7% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Chicago, IL is 64.2% more expensive than Lake Havasu City, AZ without rent, and 37.3% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Chicago, IL
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.82 $20.82
$17.91 $17.91
16.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$100 $100
$49.96 $49.96
100.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.97 $11.97
$9.84 $9.84
21.65%
Cappuccino
$5.56 $5.56
$4.48 $4.48
24.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$2.82 $2.82
10.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.91 $1.91
26.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.86 $6.86
$5.06 $5.06
35.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.45 $8.45
$4.96 $4.96
70.36%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$0.98 $0.98
6.12%
White Bread (500g)
$4.15 $4.15
$3.09 $3.09
34.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$5.43 $5.43
1.66%
Eggs
$4.65 $4.65
$2.02 $2.02
130.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.33 $14.33
$9.43 $9.43
51.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.88 $14.88
$6.08 $6.08
144.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.34 $19.34
$10.05 $10.05
92.44%
Apples (1kg)
$5.17 $5.17
$3.89 $3.89
32.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.39 $1.39
23.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.41 $4.41
$2.71 $2.71
62.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.24 $2.24
101.34%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.12 $2.12
19.34%
Onion (1kg)
$2.74 $2.74
$2.59 $2.59
5.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 $2.43
$1.26 $1.26
92.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.7 $2.7
$1.12 $1.12
141.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.19 $15.19
$8.95 $8.95
69.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.42 $16.42
$8.17 $8.17
100.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.93 $1.93
21.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.7 $3.7
$2.48 $2.48
49.19%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Chicago, IL
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.01 $2.01
25.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.1 $74.1
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.34 $3.34
$3.6 $3.6
-7.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 $1.42
$1.4 $1.4
1.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.42 $25.42
$28.93 $28.93
-12.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$1 $1
8.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K $32.4K
$28.2K $28.2K
14.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$26K $26K
0.89%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$170 $170
10.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.7 $63.7
$20.38 $20.38
212.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.2 $65.2
$74.4 $74.4
-12.33%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.7 $76.7
$43.43 $43.43
76.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.03 $13.03
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.93 $14.93
$15.2 $15.2
-1.78%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Chicago, IL
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,063 $2,063
$1,239 $1,239
66.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.2K $39.2K
$23.7K $23.7K
65.53%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 $64.3
$45.89 $45.89
40.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.4 $52.4
$52.6 $52.6
-0.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.2 $95.2
$69.1 $69.1
37.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 $145
$172 $172
-15.78%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,378 $2,378
$1,632 $1,632
45.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,584 $1,584
$1,353 $1,353
17.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,763 $4,763
$1,581 $1,581
201.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,815 $2,815
$2,206 $2,206
27.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,588 $3,588
$3,104 $3,104
15.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,490 $2,490
$2,803 $2,803
-11.14%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Chicago, IL
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,275 $5,275
$3,524 $3,524
49.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
6.51
1.38%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 29, 2025

Last update for Lake Havasu City, AZ: October 29, 2025

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