Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Lawton, OK

For one person, living is cheaper in Lawton, OK: $1,897 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Lawton, OK
Learn more

Lawton, OK Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Lawton, OK

🇺🇸 United States

$1,897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Lawton, OK

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 Lawton, OK actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,897 in Lawton, OK, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Lawton, OK $1,897

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,672 in Lawton, OK, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Lawton, OK $2,672

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,448 in Lawton, OK, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Lawton, OK $3,448

Chicago, IL costs about 60% more than Lawton, OK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Lawton, OK sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Lawton, OK by 39%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$14.02 $14.02

47.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$60.2 $60.2

48.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$8.89 $8.89

48.37%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.43 $4.43

27.77%

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

$1.53 $1.53

49.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.97 $4.97

38.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$5.62 $5.62

57.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.88 $0.88

42.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.52 $1.52

144.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.31 $2.31

133.33%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$1.64 $1.64

189.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$9.07 $9.07

52.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$7.01 $7.01

105.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$8.84 $8.84

107.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.03 $3.03

72.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.18 $1.18

67.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.01 $2.01

101.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.60 $2.60

91.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.17 $1.17

128.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.10 $2.10

26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.78 $1.78

25.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.86 $1.86

68.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$7.67 $7.67

80.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$10.48 $10.48

41.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.23 $2.23

13.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.65 $3.65

-3.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$80.4 $80.4

-8.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.36 $2.36

34.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$5.08 $5.08

-72.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$19.89 $19.89

25.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.81 $0.81

48.15%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$33.5K $33.5K

4.61%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.8K $27.8K

-3.98%

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

$194 $194

$161 $161

20.50%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$88.9 $88.9

-21.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$68.9 $68.9

-10.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$14.88 $14.88

221.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.19 $12.19

46.10%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$641 $641

179.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$29.93 $29.93

123.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$27.99 $27.99

86.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$70.5 $70.5

44.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$60.6 $60.6

137.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,009 $1,009

150.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$854 $854

84.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,299 $1,299

264.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,212 $1,212

122.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,341 $1,341

212.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,324 $1,324

108.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$2,960 $2,960

66.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

4.46

52.69%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lawton, OK: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Lawton, OK

$854 45% 45.9% $724

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Lawton, OK

$248 13.1% 44.5% $199

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Lawton, OK

$243 12.8% 29.5% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Lawton, OK

$319 16.8% 2% $6.4

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Lawton, OK

$85 4.5% 48.1% $79

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Lawton, OK

$108 * 5.7% 15.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Lawton, OK

$39 2.1% 53% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,009 in Lawton, OK. 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 67% 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 $60 in Lawton, OK. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $248 – making Lawton, OK the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Lawton, OK

🕒 Local time

07:11 7:11 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

87,540

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Lawton, OK 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Lawton, OK

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 Lawton, OK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $1,897 in Lawton, OK – Lawton, OK comes out roughly 38% 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 $2,845 in Lawton, OK. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lawton, OK, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,009 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 80% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $60 in Lawton, OK. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lawton, OK, where all-in costs run around $1,897, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Lawton, OK it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lawton, OK – 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 Lawton, OK. 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.