Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lawrence, KS and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Lawrence, KS: $2,210 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lawrence, KS
Learn more

Lawrence, KS Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Lawrence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,210

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $2,210
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,326 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $3,326
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,443 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $4,443
Chicago, IL $6,077

Lawrence, KS is about 31% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lawrence, KS and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Lawrence, KS by 64%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.74 $14.74

$21.58 $21.58

-31.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$88.7 $88.7

-14.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 $10.91

$13.20 $13.20

-17.35%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$5.59 $5.59

-8.77%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$2.63 $2.63

-0.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.26 $2.26

-15.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 $5.93

$7.11 $7.11

-16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 $7.67

$9.23 $9.23

-16.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.28 $1.28

-30.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.84 $3.84

-20.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$5.07 $5.07

-11.44%

Eggs

$4.03 $4.03

$4.84 $4.84

-16.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 $11.19

$14.17 $14.17

-21.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.43 $12.43

$14.61 $14.61

-14.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.76 $16.76

$18.76 $18.76

-10.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.19 $5.19

3.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.00 $2.00

6.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.00 $4.00

17.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$4.98 $4.98

-19.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.79 $2.79

-32.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.65 $2.65

7.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.13 $2.13

-24.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.09 $3.09

-5.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.87 $6.87

$16.05 $16.05

-57.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.18 $14.18

$15.20 $15.20

-6.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.62 $2.62

-33.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$3.46 $3.46

-52.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.21 $3.21

-9.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.39 $1.39

-4.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.99 $24.99

$25.02 $25.02

-0.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.24 $1.24

-25.81%

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

$22.2K $22.2K

$37.2K $37.2K

-40.21%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

-4.82%

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

$277 $277

$192 $192

44.08%

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

$62.6 $62.6

$67.8 $67.8

-7.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$60.9 $60.9

5.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.49 $44.49

$53.6 $53.6

-16.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.86 $11.86

$27.90 $27.90

-57.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.90 $11.90

$17.80 $17.80

-33.15%

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

$961 $961

$1,554 $1,554

-38.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K $19.2K

$31.4K $31.4K

-38.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 $51.4

$67.9 $67.9

-24.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 $39.77

$50.8 $50.8

-21.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$101 $101

-21.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$143 $143

-30.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 $1,186

$2,383 $2,383

-50.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$940 $940

$1,712 $1,712

-45.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 $1,881

$4,674 $4,674

-59.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 $1,714

$2,738 $2,738

-37.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,409 $2,409

$4,158 $4,158

-42.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,084 $2,084

$2,691 $2,691

-22.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,767 $3,767

$4,894 $4,894

-23.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.77

-2.95%

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

Last update for Lawrence, KS: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lawrence, KS

$940 42.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 82.1% $772

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lawrence, KS

$404 18.3%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 20.5% $83

Groceries & Markets

Lawrence, KS

$391 17.7%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 15.3% $60

Eating Out

Lawrence, KS

$275 12.4%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 28.3% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Lawrence, KS

$122 5.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 34.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Lawrence, KS

$68 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 30.6% $21

Getting Around

Lawrence, KS

$9.6 * 0.4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 895% $86

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,186 in Lawrence, KS versus $2,383 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 30% 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 $76.0 in Lawrence, KS versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $451 – making Lawrence, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lawrence, KS

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

02:49 2:49 AM

Same time as Lawrence, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,358

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

Lawrence, KS Chicago, IL 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lawrence, KS
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

Lawrence, KS vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lawrence, KS, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 44% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lawrence, KS and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lawrence, KS, 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 Lawrence, KS and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lawrence, KS, where all-in costs run around $2,210, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Lawrence, KS 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 $2,210 in Lawrence, KS to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lawrence, KS. 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.