| | Los Altos, CA | Lake Forest, IL | United States |
| Overall | 231.0 | 97.0 | 100 |
| Food & Groceries | 126.9 | 108.2 | 100 |
| Health | 107.7 | 96.3 | 100 |
| Housing | 1,266.5 | 285.4 | 100 |
| Median Home Cost | $3,727,700 | $898,600 | $338,100 |
| Utilities | 9,200.0% | 9,400.0% | 10,000.0% |
| Transportation | 139.7 | 93.7 | 100 |
| Miscellaneous | 155.5 | 141.0 | 100 |
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
DID YOU KNOW?
In order to keep your same standard of living your salary can vary greatly - whether you buy or rent, require child care, or want to include taxes. This is why we are now offering a Premium Salary & Cost of Living Calculator.
Our Premium Calculator Includes:
- Compare Cities cost of living across 9 different categories
- Personal salary calculations can optionally include Home ownership or rental, Child care, and Taxes (with details on state and local sales, income, property and automobile taxes)
- Includes the cost of Child Care for toddlers or infants, at a day care center or home care
- Grocery prices, detailed for 29 staple items in six categories
- Difference in cost of Utilities, including electric, gas and fuel oil
- Health Care Premiums and hospital expenses for major surgeries
- Taxes, Fees and Expenses you should know about, such as local car insurance rates, automobile taxes and registration, commuting costs.
- and 100s of other items you should consider before you relocate
Upgrade to Premium |
See Example
View More Data >
Reviews for Los Altos 
2 Reviews
the quality of life here is very high however the cost of living is also high. extremely high as a matter of fact. I'd like to look at other communities that are less More
Start Your Review of Los Altos
Reviews for Lake Forest 
4 Reviews
We relocated cross county to Lake Forest about a year ago due to a job change. We looked at nearby communities, within proximity of the work commute (the office is in More
Be prepared for a so called upscale town with entitled, overpaid, snooty people from teenagers who sneer at you to adults who look you up and down, who make demands on a More
Long cold winters, short cold springs, hot humid summers, nice More
Start Your Review of Lake Forest
Most Recent Searches On Compare Cities
| Compare City | Compared To This City | |
| Holgate, Ohio | Russellville, Kentucky | Compare |
| Maple Grove, Minnesota | Huntington Beach, California | Compare |
| Fairhope, Alabama | Saratoga Springs, New York | Compare |
| Republic, Missouri | Bolivar, Missouri | Compare |
| Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina | Greece, New York | Compare |
| Greenville, Mississippi | Dearborn Heights, Michigan | Compare |
| Belfair, Washington | Snohomish, Washington | Compare |
| Waipahu, Hawaii | Camarillo, California | Compare |
| Goodland, Kansas | Corpus Christi, Texas | Compare |
| Austin, Texas | Flower Mound, Texas | Compare |
| Laramie, Wyoming | Highlands Ranch, Colorado | Compare |
| Springfield, Missouri | Hazelwood, Missouri | Compare |
| Marion, Illinois | Wausau, Wisconsin | Compare |
| Mason City, Iowa | Waco, Texas | Compare |
| Superior, Colorado | Ozark, Missouri | Compare |
| Denver, Colorado | Nipomo, California | Compare |
| Huntington Beach, California | Manteca, California | Compare |
| Modesto, California | Compton, California | Compare |
| Gainesville, Florida | Winter Haven, Florida | Compare |
| Annandale, Virginia | Ellicott City, Maryland | Compare |