Cost of Living: Lafayette, LA vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,268/mo in Lafayette, LA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 15.51% of gross in Lafayette, LA versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Lafayette, LA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Lafayette, LA
$4,268/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Lafayette, LA
15.51%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Chicago, IL
20.28%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Lafayette, LA and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Lafayette, LA
  • Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
  • Higher median household income: Lafayette, LA

Cost of Living Index

Lafayette, LA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Lafayette, LA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Lafayette, LA: $1,012/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $311/mo higher than in Lafayette, LA.

Median Home Price

Lafayette, LA: $251,300 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Lafayette, LA is $103,500 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

Lafayette, LA: $61,454 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Lafayette, LA has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $4,639.

Lafayette, LA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons