2026 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Lake Forest, IL vs La Quinta, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in La Quinta or is it cheaper to live in Lake Forest?
- La Quinta is 35.3% more expensive than Lake Forest.

Which city has more affordable housing, La Quinta or Lake Forest?
- La Quinta housing costs are 31.8% less expensive than Lake Forest housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Lake Forest or is Health Care more affordable in La Quinta.
- Health related expenses are 9.3% less in La Quinta.
 Lake Forest, ILLa Quinta, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock131.2100
 Food & Groceries108.2  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock87.3100
 Housing285.4  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$704,100$338,100
 Utilities94  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock131.3100
 Miscellaneous141.0  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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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

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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

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Over 16 years ago

Long cold winters, short cold springs, hot humid summers, nice  More

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Reviews for La Quinta    5 Reviews

I've lived here nearly 15 years. Life in La Quinta is special. No, it's not like at the coast. Here, it's relaxed. You can enjoy beautiful blue skies nearly 350 days out  More

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My wife and I have lived in La Quinta, CA for 16 years. Over these years we've seen a tremendous amount of development, which on the one hand has improved shopping and  More

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Over 18 years ago

The positive: - Winter days are great at around 75ºF. - Abundant sunshine. - New infrastructure. - Landscaped greenery & water features. - It's not overly crowded &  More

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