Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Lexington, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Lexington, KY: $2,266 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Lexington, KY
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Lexington, KY Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,266

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Lexington, KY

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 Lexington, KY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,266 in Lexington, KY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Lexington, KY $2,266

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,326 in Lexington, KY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Lexington, KY $3,326

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,386 in Lexington, KY, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Lexington, KY $4,386

Chicago, IL costs about 34% more than Lexington, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Lexington, KY sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Lexington, KY by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$12.76 $12.76

62.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$57.3 $57.3

55.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$8.94 $8.94

47.54%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.92 $4.92

15.04%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.52 $2.52

4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.11 $2.11

8.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.14 $5.14

33.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.17 $6.17

43.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.73 $0.73

71.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.86 $2.86

30.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.89 $3.89

38.56%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.52 $3.52

34.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.17 $10.17

36.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$10.35 $10.35

39.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$14.16 $14.16

29.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.48 $5.48

-4.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.54 $1.54

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.54 $5.54

-26.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.45 $4.45

11.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.07 $4.07

-34.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.20 $3.20

-16.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.11 $2.11

6.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.19 $3.19

-1.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.81 $8.81

56.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.18 $13.18

12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.70 $2.70

-5.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.15 $4.15

-15.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.03 $1.03

135.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$29.42 $29.42

149.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$5.10 $5.10

-37.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.93 $0.93

29.03%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.3K $27.3K

28.42%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.40%

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

$194 $194

$192 $192

1.13%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$108 $108

-35.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$75.1 $75.1

-17.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$27.36 $27.36

75.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$29.72 $29.72

-8.01%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.94 $14.94

19.21%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$2,240 $2,240

-19.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$25.2K $25.2K

26.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$50.6 $50.6

32.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$31.75 $31.75

64.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$115 $115

-12.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$153 $153

-5.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,710 $1,710

47.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,008 $1,008

56.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,665 $2,665

77.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,684 $1,684

59.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,294 $2,294

82.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,961 $1,961

41.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,152 $4,152

18.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.82

-0.15%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lexington, KY: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Lexington, KY

$1K 44.5% 36.1% $570

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Lexington, KY

$385 17% 14% $62

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Lexington, KY

$245 10.8% 29.1% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Lexington, KY

$375 16.6% 15.2% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Lexington, KY

$158 7% 3.8% $6.3

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Lexington, KY

$39 * 1.7% 58.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Lexington, KY

$57 2.5% 31.5% $26

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 $1,710 in Lexington, KY. 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 19% 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 $89 in Chicago, IL versus $57 in Lexington, KY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $385 – making Lexington, KY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Lexington, KY

🕒 Local time

05:58 5:58 AM

06:58 6:58 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

322,570

💱 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 Lexington, KY 500 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Lexington, KY

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 Lexington, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,266 in Lexington, KY – Lexington, KY comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,398 in Lexington, KY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lexington, KY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,710 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $57 in Lexington, KY. 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 $2,266 in Lexington, KY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,266 in Lexington, KY to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lexington, KY. 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.