Cost of Living: Lake Charles, 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 Lake Charles, LA versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 15.89% of gross in Lake Charles, LA versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Lake Charles, LA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Lake Charles, LA and Chicago, IL.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Lake Charles, LA
- Lower home prices: Chicago, IL
- Higher median household income: Lake Charles, LA
Cost of Living Index
Lake Charles, LA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)
Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Lake Charles, LA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Lake Charles, LA: $1,036/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo
Median rent in Chicago, IL is $287/mo higher than in Lake Charles, LA.
Median Home Price
Lake Charles, LA: $204,000 · Chicago, IL: $147,800
Median home price in Lake Charles, LA is $56,200 higher than in Chicago, IL.
Median Household Income
Lake Charles, LA: $56,864 · Chicago, IL: $56,815
Lake Charles, LA has a higher median household income than Chicago, IL by $49.
Lake Charles, LA overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons