Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Geneva, WI and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Geneva, WI: $2,464 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Lake Geneva, WI
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Lake Geneva, WI Living Index
152

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

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Lake Geneva, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,464

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lake Geneva, WI 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 Lake Geneva, WI and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,464 per month in Lake Geneva, WI vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lake Geneva, WI $2,464
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,622 per month in Lake Geneva, WI vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lake Geneva, WI $3,622
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,780 per month in Lake Geneva, WI vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lake Geneva, WI $4,780
Chicago, IL $6,115

Lake Geneva, WI is about 21% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lake Geneva, WI and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Lake Geneva, WI by 82%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.49 $21.49

$20.65 $20.65

4.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.0 $90.0

$90.2 $90.2

-0.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.95 $12.95

$12.94 $12.94

0.08%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$5.60 $5.60

3.93%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$2.64 $2.64

2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.27 $2.27

3.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 $6.95

$6.98 $6.98

-0.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.86 $8.86

$8.83 $8.83

0.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.27 $1.27

-20.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.80 $3.80

-35.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$5.30 $5.30

-4.53%

Eggs

$2.00 $2.00

$4.76 $4.76

-57.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 $13.97

$13.96 $13.96

0.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$14.61 $14.61

-33.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 $9.92

$18.77 $18.77

-47.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$5.19 $5.19

-20.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.98 $1.98

-2.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$3.93 $3.93

5.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$4.96 $4.96

-4.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.76 $2.76

-3.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.76 $2.76

-3.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.22 $2.22

-0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.98 $2.98

-0.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.45 $8.45

$14.02 $14.02

-39.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 $12.84

$15.28 $15.28

-15.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.58 $2.58

3.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.50 $3.50

-3.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.47 $2.47

-12.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.34 $3.34

-1.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.43 $1.43

-4.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.17 $25.17

$24.32 $24.32

3.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.26 $1.26

-27.78%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$35.0K $35.0K

1.07%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.81%

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

$192 $192

$193 $193

-0.48%

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

$67.3 $67.3

$68.3 $68.3

-1.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 $50.6

$61.3 $61.3

-17.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.35 $42.35

$54.1 $54.1

-21.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$10.13 $10.13

$17.74 $17.74

-42.90%

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

$1,687 $1,687

$1,652 $1,652

2.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K $31.5K

$31.1K $31.1K

1.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 $66.7

$66.1 $66.1

0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 $50.7

$51.2 $51.2

-1.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 $98.3

$100 $100

-1.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$141 $141

3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,610 $1,610

$2,446 $2,446

-34.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 $1,198

$1,678 $1,678

-28.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,754 $2,754

$4,717 $4,717

-41.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 $1,911

$2,795 $2,795

-31.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,513 $2,513

$4,105 $4,105

-38.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,682 $2,682

$2,650 $2,650

1.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,761 $3,761

$4,866 $4,866

-22.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.81

-5.29%

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

Last update for Lake Geneva, WI: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lake Geneva, WI

$1.2K 48.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 40% $479

Groceries & Markets

Lake Geneva, WI

$359 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 25.3% $91

Eating Out

Lake Geneva, WI

$353 14.3%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 2.8% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lake Geneva, WI

$310 12.6%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 4.1% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Lake Geneva, WI

$163 6.6%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 0.8% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Lake Geneva, WI

$63 2.5%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 43.1% $27

Getting Around

Lake Geneva, WI

$19 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 409% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,610 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $2,446 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 29% 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 $90.0 in Lake Geneva, WI versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 vs $449 – making Lake Geneva, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lake Geneva, WI

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

Same time as Lake Geneva, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Lake Geneva, WI Chicago, IL 100 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lake Geneva, WI vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 27% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,696 per month in Lake Geneva, WI and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lake Geneva, WI, 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 Lake Geneva, WI and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% 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.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. 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 $2,464 in Lake Geneva, WI to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lake Geneva, WI. 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.