Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lakeland, FL and Alton, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Alton, IL: $1,910 a month against $2,613 in Lakeland, FL, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Lakeland, FL
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Lakeland, FL Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Alton, IL
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Alton, IL Living Index

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Lakeland, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,613

/mo nomad

Alton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,910

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lakeland, FL and in Alton, IL

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

A single person spends $2,613 per month in Lakeland, FL vs $1,910 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Lakeland, FL $2,613
Alton, IL $1,910

A couple spends around $3,873 per month in Lakeland, FL vs $2,881 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Lakeland, FL $3,873
Alton, IL $2,881

A family of three spends $5,133 per month in Lakeland, FL vs $3,852 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Lakeland, FL $5,133
Alton, IL $3,852

Lakeland, FL costs about 37% more than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lakeland, FL and Alton, IL sit above the global median – Lakeland, FL by 92%, Alton, IL by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.44 $19.44

$21.04 $21.04

-7.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$55.0 $55.0

47.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$10.83 $10.83

12.19%

Cappuccino

$4.81 $4.81

$4.90 $4.90

-1.84%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$1.46 $1.46

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.75 $1.75

1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.12 $4.12

-16.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 $5.04

$6.04 $6.04

-16.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.75 $0.75

41.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.50 $2.50

59.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.17 $3.17

12.30%

Eggs

$5.08 $5.08

$3.19 $3.19

59.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 $12.33

$9.53 $9.53

29.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.36 $13.36

$6.70 $6.70

99.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 $14.26

$24.15 $24.15

-40.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.47 $4.47

34.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.23 $1.23

23.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$5.15 $5.15

4.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$4.91 $4.91

7.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.16 $2.16

37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.83 $2.83

19.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.08 $2.08

7.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.14 $2.14

20.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 $9.47

$10.90 $10.90

-13.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.67 $13.67

$12.13 $12.13

12.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.81 $1.81

-2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 $4.45

$2.64 $2.64

68.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.49 $46.49

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.95 $2.95

15.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.67 $1.67

-10.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.9 $58.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.99 $0.99

3.03%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$27.4K $27.4K

3.29%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.02%

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

$247 $247

$338 $338

-27.10%

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

$46.37 $46.37

$44.08 $44.08

5.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.8 $62.8

$76.4 $76.4

-17.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.69 $27.69

$27.65 $27.65

0.14%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$12.15 $12.15

23.62%

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

$648 $648

$280 $280

131.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 $50.7

$39.41 $39.41

28.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.16 $42.16

$42.27 $42.27

-0.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 $74.5

$65.2 $65.2

14.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 $92.7

$74.8 $74.8

23.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$740 $740

116.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$631 $631

107.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 $2,660

$1,107 $1,107

140.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,255 $2,255

$1,281 $1,281

75.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,346 $2,346

$1,534 $1,534

52.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,950 $1,950

$1,426 $1,426

36.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,859 $3,859

$3,767 $3,767

2.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

8.67%

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

Last update for Lakeland, FL: October 24, 2026

Last update for Alton, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lakeland, FL

$1.3K 50%

Alton, IL

$631 33% 51.7% $676

Groceries & Markets

Lakeland, FL

$419 16%

Alton, IL

$352 18.4% 16% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lakeland, FL

$356 13.6%

Alton, IL

$459 24% 28.9% $103

Eating Out

Lakeland, FL

$293 11.2%

Alton, IL

$305 16% 4.2% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Lakeland, FL

$117 4.5%

Alton, IL

$100 5.2% 14.8% $17

Getting Around

Lakeland, FL

$64 2.4%

Alton, IL

$11 * 0.6% 82.2% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Lakeland, FL

$58 2.2%

Alton, IL

$52 2.7% 10% $5.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,601 in Lakeland, FL versus $740 in Alton, 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 $81 in Lakeland, FL versus $55 in Alton, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $419 vs $352 – making Alton, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lakeland, FL

🇺🇸 Alton, IL

🕒 Local time

02:24 2:24 AM

01:24 1:24 AM

1 h behind Lakeland, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

108,054

25,676

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lakeland, FL Alton, IL 1,430 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lakeland, FL
Alton, 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

Lakeland, FL vs Alton, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lakeland, FL costs about 37% more than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,919 per month in Lakeland, FL and $2,865 in Alton, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alton, IL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $740 there versus $1,601 in Lakeland, FL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,613 in Lakeland, FL and $1,910 in Alton, IL. That makes Alton, IL about 27% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $648 per month in Lakeland, FL and $280 in Alton, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Alton, IL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.