Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colorado Springs, CO and Lake Forest, CA

For one person, living costs are similar in Colorado Springs, CO and in Lake Forest, CA: $2,980 and $3,065 a month, rent and utilities included.

145

Cost of Living Index in Colorado Springs, CO
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Colorado Springs, CO Living Index
148

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

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Colorado Springs, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,980

/mo nomad

Lake Forest, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,065

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Colorado Springs, CO 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 Colorado Springs, CO and in Lake Forest, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,980 in Colorado Springs, CO versus $3,065 in Lake Forest, CA.

Colorado Springs, CO $2,980
Lake Forest, CA $3,065

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,295 in Colorado Springs, CO versus $4,654 in Lake Forest, CA.

Colorado Springs, CO $4,295
Lake Forest, CA $4,654

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,610 in Colorado Springs, CO versus $6,243 in Lake Forest, CA.

Colorado Springs, CO $5,610
Lake Forest, CA $6,243

Living in Colorado Springs, CO costs roughly 3% less than in Lake Forest, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Colorado Springs, CO 120% above, Lake Forest, CA 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.78 $19.78

$25.44 $25.44

-22.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 $85.6

$102 $102

-15.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.79 $12.79

$11.39 $11.39

12.29%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$5.83 $5.83

-4.80%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.09 $3.09

-14.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.53 $2.53

-13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 $6.15

$8.12 $8.12

-24.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 $7.14

$9.65 $9.65

-26.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.20 $1.20

-18.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$4.91 $4.91

-32.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$4.63 $4.63

-8.21%

Eggs

$6.19 $6.19

$5.32 $5.32

16.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.93 $14.93

$12.32 $12.32

21.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$16.04 $16.04

-16.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.49 $19.49

$14.05 $14.05

38.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$5.19 $5.19

7.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.77 $1.77

-23.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.19 $4.19

3.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$6.50 $6.50

-29.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.37 $3.37

-29.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.82 $2.82

-7.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.95 $1.95

23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.27 $2.27

-14.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 $10.17

$11.88 $11.88

-14.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.27 $19.27

$15.15 $15.15

27.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.70 $1.70

94.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.67 $2.67

75.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 $1.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.8 $63.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.06 $3.06

21.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.86 $1.86

-23.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.07 $25.07

$32.09 $32.09

-21.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.53 $1.53

-33.33%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$28.2K $28.2K

-0.68%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.68%

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

$201 $201

$272 $272

-25.96%

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

$96.1 $96.1

$71.8 $71.8

33.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$100 $100

$79.8 $79.8

25.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 $57.5

$99.5 $99.5

-42.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.26 $33.26

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 $14.73

$14.93 $14.93

-1.34%

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

$1,473 $1,473

$1,649 $1,649

-10.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K $24.4K

$32.1K $32.1K

-23.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 $59.4

$72.6 $72.6

-18.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.73 $34.73

$40.29 $40.29

-13.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 $80.8

$79.5 $79.5

1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$167 $167

-38.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 $1,719

$2,099 $2,099

-18.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 $1,520

$1,506 $1,506

0.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 $2,728

$3,265 $3,265

-16.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,370 $2,370

$2,790 $2,790

-15.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,598 $2,598

$8,187 $8,187

-68.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,420 $2,420

$6,906 $6,906

-64.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,333 $4,333

$6,911 $6,911

-37.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.64

1.20%

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

Last update for Colorado Springs, CO: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lake Forest, CA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Colorado Springs, CO

$1.5K 51%

Lake Forest, CA

$1.5K 49.2% 0.9% $14

Groceries & Markets

Colorado Springs, CO

$441 14.8%

Lake Forest, CA

$441 14.4% 0.1% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colorado Springs, CO

$398 13.4%

Lake Forest, CA

$424 13.8% 6.5% $26

Eating Out

Colorado Springs, CO

$328 11%

Lake Forest, CA

$390 12.7% 19.1% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Colorado Springs, CO

$125 4.2%

Lake Forest, CA

$162 5.3% 29.6% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Colorado Springs, CO

$87 2.9%

Lake Forest, CA

$129 4.2% 48.7% $42

Getting Around

Colorado Springs, CO

$82 2.7%

Lake Forest, CA

$12 * 0.4% 84.9% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,719 in Colorado Springs, CO and $2,099 in Lake Forest, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lake Forest, CA pays 59% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $86.0 in Colorado Springs, CO vs $102 in Lake Forest, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $441 vs $441 per month, with Colorado Springs, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Colorado Springs, CO

🇺🇸 Lake Forest, CA

🕒 Local time

04:53 4:53 AM

03:53 3:53 AM

1 h behind Colorado Springs, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

478,961

19,367

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Colorado Springs, CO Lake Forest, CA 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Colorado Springs, CO
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

Colorado Springs, CO vs Lake Forest, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colorado Springs, CO is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Lake Forest, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,719 in Colorado Springs, CO versus $2,099 in Lake Forest, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,473 in Colorado Springs, CO versus $1,649 in Lake Forest, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Colorado Springs, CO – a meal for two runs $86.0 versus $102 in Lake Forest, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Colorado Springs, CO is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Colorado Springs, CO and Lake Forest, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Colorado Springs, CO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Lake Forest, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.