Cost of Living: La Crosse, WI vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,207/mo in La Crosse, WI versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 14.23% of gross in La Crosse, WI versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so La Crosse, WI tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in La Crosse, WI
$4,207/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in La Crosse, WI
14.23%
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 La Crosse, WI and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

La Crosse, WI: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

La Crosse, WI: $928/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $395/mo higher than in La Crosse, WI.

Median Home Price

La Crosse, WI: $196,600 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in La Crosse, WI is $48,800 higher than in Chicago, IL.

Median Household Income

La Crosse, WI: $53,803 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Chicago, IL has a higher median household income than La Crosse, WI by $3,012.

La Crosse, WI overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons