Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Norden, SD and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Norden, SD: $2,499 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Lake Norden, SD
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Lake Norden, SD Living Index
152

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

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Lake Norden, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,499

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,499 per month in Lake Norden, SD vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lake Norden, SD $2,499
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,607 per month in Lake Norden, SD vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lake Norden, SD $3,607
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,715 per month in Lake Norden, SD vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lake Norden, SD $4,715
Chicago, IL $6,115

Lake Norden, SD is about 20% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lake Norden, SD and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Lake Norden, SD by 84%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 $11.95

$20.65 $20.65

-42.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$90.2 $90.2

-15.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.04 $10.04

$12.94 $12.94

-22.41%

Cappuccino

$4.36 $4.36

$5.60 $5.60

-22.14%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$2.64 $2.64

-23.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.27 $2.27

-18.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.91 $3.91

$6.98 $6.98

-43.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 $6.47

$8.83 $8.83

-26.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.27 $1.27

-35.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.80 $3.80

-21.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$5.30 $5.30

-10.38%

Eggs

$2.97 $2.97

$4.76 $4.76

-37.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 $12.63

$13.96 $13.96

-9.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 $9.53

$14.61 $14.61

-34.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$18.77 $18.77

-15.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$5.19 $5.19

-15.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.98 $1.98

-17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.93 $3.93

-8.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.96 $4.96

-29.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.76 $2.76

-20.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.76 $2.76

20.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.22 $2.22

-10.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.98 $2.98

-40.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.78 $9.78

$14.02 $14.02

-30.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 $11.18

$15.28 $15.28

-26.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.58 $2.58

-13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.50 $3.50

-27.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.47 $2.47

-18.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.34 $3.34

16.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.43 $1.43

18.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.58 $35.58

$24.32 $24.32

46.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.26 $1.26

-19.05%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-29.54%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

-3.39%

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

$247 $247

$193 $193

27.94%

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

$46.75 $46.75

$68.3 $68.3

-31.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.3 $55.3

$61.3 $61.3

-9.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.18 $46.18

$54.1 $54.1

-14.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$12.67 $12.67

$17.74 $17.74

-28.58%

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

$1,016 $1,016

$1,652 $1,652

-38.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,864 $7,864

$31.1K $31.1K

-74.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.48 $32.48

$66.1 $66.1

-50.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.02 $30.02

$51.2 $51.2

-41.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$100 $100

19.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$141 $141

-2.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 $1,369

$2,446 $2,446

-44.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 $1,342

$1,678 $1,678

-20.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,616 $2,616

$4,717 $4,717

-44.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 $2,185

$2,795 $2,795

-21.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,042 $3,042

$4,105 $4,105

-25.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,496 $2,496

$2,650 $2,650

-5.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

6.81

0.88%

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

Last update for Lake Norden, SD: October 18, 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 Norden, SD

$1.3K 53.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 25% $336

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lake Norden, SD

$349 14%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 7.6% $26

Groceries & Markets

Lake Norden, SD

$347 13.9%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 29.6% $103

Eating Out

Lake Norden, SD

$226 9.1%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 51.9% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Lake Norden, SD

$144 5.8%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 12% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Lake Norden, SD

$72 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 25.3% $18

Getting Around

Lake Norden, SD

$20 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 364% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,369 in Lake Norden, SD 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Lake Norden, SD versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $347 vs $449 – making Lake Norden, SD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lake Norden, SD

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

Same time as Lake Norden, SD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

600

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lake Norden, SD Chicago, IL 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lake Norden, SD
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

Lake Norden, SD vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,499 in Lake Norden, SD, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 26% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,749 per month in Lake Norden, SD 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 Norden, SD, 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 $76.0 in Lake Norden, SD 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 30% 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.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Lake Norden, SD, where all-in costs run around $2,499, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Lake Norden, SD it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,499 in Lake Norden, SD to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lake Norden, SD. 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.