Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Plaines, IL and Lexington, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Lexington, KY: $2,173 a month against $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index
106

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

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Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,073

/mo nomad

Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,173

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Des Plaines, 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 Des Plaines, IL and in Lexington, KY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL versus $2,173 in Lexington, KY.

Des Plaines, IL $3,073
Lexington, KY $2,173

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,412 in Des Plaines, IL versus $3,265 in Lexington, KY.

Des Plaines, IL $4,412
Lexington, KY $3,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,750 in Des Plaines, IL versus $4,356 in Lexington, KY.

Des Plaines, IL $5,750
Lexington, KY $4,356

Living in Des Plaines, IL is roughly 41% more expensive than in Lexington, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Des Plaines, IL 129% above, Lexington, KY 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.88 $20.88

$13.14 $13.14

58.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.5 $89.5

$57.5 $57.5

55.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 $12.87

$9.14 $9.14

40.81%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.13 $5.13

10.14%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$2.53 $2.53

2.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.06 $2.06

12.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 $6.95

$4.99 $4.99

39.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$5.97 $5.97

34.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.78 $0.78

21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.88 $2.88

21.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$3.98 $3.98

6.28%

Eggs

$4.16 $4.16

$3.68 $3.68

13.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.67 $14.67

$10.19 $10.19

43.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$10.17 $10.17

28.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.95 $18.95

$14.52 $14.52

30.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$5.49 $5.49

-13.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.52 $1.52

7.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$5.49 $5.49

-24.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$4.41 $4.41

9.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$4.14 $4.14

-35.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.07 $3.07

-10.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.08 $2.08

3.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$3.18 $3.18

-24.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.65 $10.65

$8.44 $8.44

26.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$13.02 $13.02

14.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.69 $2.69

-5.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$4.31 $4.31

-18.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.02 $1.02

98.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 $60.8

$29.70 $29.70

104.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$4.92 $4.92

-35.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.93 $24.93

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.00 $1.00

5.00%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$37.0K $37.0K

-2.98%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$25.2K $25.2K

-1.67%

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

$195 $195

$188 $188

3.60%

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

$60.5 $60.5

$106 $106

-43.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$74.6 $74.6

3.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 $125

$39.07 $39.07

219.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.72 $40.72

$30.41 $30.41

33.90%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$15.25 $15.25

-0.59%

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

$1,545 $1,545

$2,222 $2,222

-30.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$24.9K $24.9K

-5.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 $65.3

$51.3 $51.3

27.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 $51.0

$31.32 $31.32

62.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$117 $117

-14.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$151 $151

-19.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 $2,093

$1,147 $1,147

82.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$929 $929

63.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,861 $3,861

$2,058 $2,058

87.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,536 $2,536

$1,589 $1,589

59.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,174 $3,174

$2,118 $2,118

49.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,521 $2,521

$2,077 $2,077

21.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,220 $6,220

$4,029 $4,029

54.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.82

-0.73%

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

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 4, 2026

Last update for Lexington, KY: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 50.6%

Lexington, KY

$929 42.3% 38.9% $592

Groceries & Markets

Des Plaines, IL

$419 14%

Lexington, KY

$386 17.5% 7.9% $33

Eating Out

Des Plaines, IL

$344 11.5%

Lexington, KY

$249 11.3% 27.5% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Plaines, IL

$333 11.1%

Lexington, KY

$369 16.8% 10.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Des Plaines, IL

$155 5.2%

Lexington, KY

$70 3.2% 55.1% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Des Plaines, IL

$153 5.1%

Lexington, KY

$158 7.2% 3.5% $5.3

Getting Around

Des Plaines, IL

$79 2.6%

Lexington, KY

$39 * 1.8% 50.9% $40

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 $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL and $1,147 in Lexington, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays 54% 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: $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL vs $57.0 in Lexington, KY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $386 per month, with Lexington, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 Lexington, KY

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

02:25 2:25 AM

1 h ahead of Des Plaines, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,675

322,570

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Des Plaines, IL Lexington, KY 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Des Plaines, 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

Des Plaines, IL vs Lexington, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Des Plaines, IL and Lexington, KY differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($3,073 vs $2,173 including rent). Lexington, KY is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 54% higher in Des Plaines, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL versus $1,147 in Lexington, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Des Plaines, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lexington, KY – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,173 in Lexington, KY versus $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lexington, KY but tight or insufficient in Des Plaines, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Lexington, KY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Des Plaines, IL and Lexington, KY 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 Lexington, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Des Plaines, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.