Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lafayette, LA and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Lafayette, LA: $2,365 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Lafayette, LA
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Lafayette, LA Living Index
147

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

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Lafayette, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,365

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lafayette, LA and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lafayette, LA and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,365 per month in Lafayette, LA vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lafayette, LA $2,365
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,578 per month in Lafayette, LA vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lafayette, LA $3,578
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,791 per month in Lafayette, LA vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lafayette, LA $4,791
Chicago, IL $5,999

Lafayette, LA is about 22% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lafayette, LA and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Lafayette, LA by 74%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 $25.39

$20.71 $20.71

22.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$89.2 $89.2

12.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 $10.15

$13.19 $13.19

-23.05%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$5.66 $5.66

-4.77%

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

$2.87 $2.87

$2.64 $2.64

8.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.28 $2.28

-20.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 $5.55

$6.87 $6.87

-19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 $6.15

$8.84 $8.84

-30.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.25 $1.25

-8.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.72 $3.72

10.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$5.39 $5.39

-34.51%

Eggs

$5.52 $5.52

$4.74 $4.74

16.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$13.84 $13.84

-27.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.27 $10.27

$14.40 $14.40

-28.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.82 $15.82

$18.38 $18.38

-13.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$5.22 $5.22

-2.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.98 $1.98

-27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$4.06 $4.06

32.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.97 $4.97

10.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.67 $2.67

0.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.66 $2.66

24.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.24 $2.24

0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$3.13 $3.13

-24.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.42 $9.42

$13.82 $13.82

-31.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.53 $16.53

$14.88 $14.88

11.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.54 $2.54

-27.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 $3.71

$3.51 $3.51

5.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.43 $2.43

-59.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.7 $59.7

$73.5 $73.5

-18.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.18 $3.18

-20.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.39 $1.39

-27.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.70 $35.70

$25.03 $25.03

42.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.20 $1.20

-18.33%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-17.79%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.06%

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

$225 $225

$194 $194

15.48%

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

$53.3 $53.3

$69.5 $69.5

-23.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 $59.2

$61.6 $61.6

-3.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 $56.8

$47.90 $47.90

18.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.23 $21.23

$27.34 $27.34

-22.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.83 $11.83

$17.81 $17.81

-33.58%

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

$1,532 $1,532

$1,794 $1,794

-14.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K $10.4K

$31.9K $31.9K

-67.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 $56.6

$67.0 $67.0

-15.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.83 $42.83

$52.1 $52.1

-17.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 $85.2

$102 $102

-16.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$144 $144

-16.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 $1,255

$2,526 $2,526

-50.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$980 $980

$1,578 $1,578

-37.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,758 $1,758

$4,738 $4,738

-62.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 $1,611

$2,693 $2,693

-40.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,801 $1,801

$4,190 $4,190

-57.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,464 $1,464

$2,768 $2,768

-47.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,504 $3,504

$4,931 $4,931

-28.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.3

6.81

-7.49%

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

Last update for Lafayette, LA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lafayette, LA

$980 41.4%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 61.1% $598

Groceries & Markets

Lafayette, LA

$402 17%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 11.2% $45

Eating Out

Lafayette, LA

$357 15.1%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 3.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lafayette, LA

$337 14.3%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 3.4% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Lafayette, LA

$137 5.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 19.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Lafayette, LA

$80 3.4%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 3.8% $3.1

Getting Around

Lafayette, LA

$71 3%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 31.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,255 in Lafayette, LA versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. 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 41% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Lafayette, LA versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $402 in Lafayette, LA vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Lafayette, LA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lafayette, LA

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

08:29 8:29 AM

Same time as Lafayette, LA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,244

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lafayette, LA Chicago, IL 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lafayette, LA
Chicago, IL

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

Lafayette, LA vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,365 in Lafayette, LA, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Lafayette, LA comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,547 per month in Lafayette, LA and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lafayette, LA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,255 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Lafayette, LA and $89 in Chicago, IL. 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 $2,365 in Lafayette, LA and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lafayette, LA – 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 Lafayette, LA. 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.