Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and West Monroe, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in West Monroe, LA: $2,628 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in West Monroe, LA
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West Monroe, LA Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

West Monroe, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,628 in West Monroe, LA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
West Monroe, LA $2,628

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,851 in West Monroe, LA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
West Monroe, LA $3,851

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,073 in West Monroe, LA, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
West Monroe, LA $5,073

Chicago, IL costs about 19% more than West Monroe, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and West Monroe, LA sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, West Monroe, LA by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$17.14 $17.14

20.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$75.9 $75.9

18.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.79 $10.79

19.93%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.11 $5.11

9.59%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.45 $2.45

7.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.36 $2.36

-3.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.90 $4.90

42.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$4.18 $4.18

111.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.10 $1.10

15.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.78 $2.78

36.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.75 $2.75

92.73%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.55 $3.55

34.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$10.23 $10.23

36.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$11.84 $11.84

23.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$18.61 $18.61

0.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$2.75 $2.75

88.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.46 $1.46

35.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.25 $3.25

20.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.33 $1.33

272.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.14 $2.14

28.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.34 $1.34

105.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.92 $1.92

15.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.91 $1.91

56.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$7.96 $7.96

76.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.53 $13.53

12.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.73 $1.73

49.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.74 $1.74

101.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.02 $2.02

22.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.43 $2.43

37.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.52 $1.52

-5.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$24.27 $24.27

0.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.97 $0.97

29.90%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

31.17%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.5K $26.5K

-1.47%

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

$193 $193

$220 $220

-12.44%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$60.4 $60.4

13.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$68.3 $68.3

-10.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$43.69 $43.69

23.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$12.94 $12.94

37.09%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,020 $1,020

62.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$19.1K $19.1K

62.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$50.9 $50.9

29.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$38.37 $38.37

33.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$83.3 $83.3

20.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$148 $148

-4.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,807 $1,807

35.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,433 $1,433

17.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,372 $2,372

98.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,457 $2,457

13.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,560 $2,560

60.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,482 $2,482

6.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.75

0.89%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for West Monroe, LA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

West Monroe, LA

$1.4K 54.5% 14.6% $245

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

West Monroe, LA

$331 12.6% 26.4% $119

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

West Monroe, LA

$283 10.8% 17.6% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

West Monroe, LA

$349 13.3% 8.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

West Monroe, LA

$144 5.5% 10.5% $17

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

West Monroe, LA

$18 * 0.7% 81% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

West Monroe, LA

$70 2.7% 22.4% $20

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 $1,807 in West Monroe, LA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $76.0 in West Monroe, LA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $331 – making West Monroe, LA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 West Monroe, LA

🕒 Local time

08:57 8:57 AM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

13,028

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL West Monroe, LA 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
West Monroe, 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 West Monroe, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,628 in West Monroe, LA – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,941 in West Monroe, LA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in West Monroe, 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 $76.0 in West Monroe, LA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,628 in West Monroe, LA. 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 $2,628 in West Monroe, LA to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with West Monroe, 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.