2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Lake Forest, IL vs St. Charles, IL

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in St. Charles or is it cheaper to live in Lake Forest?
- St. Charles is 1.6% less expensive than Lake Forest.

Which city has more affordable housing, St. Charles or Lake Forest?
- St. Charles housing costs are 59.4% less expensive than Lake Forest housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Lake Forest or is Health Care more affordable in St. Charles.
- Health related expenses are 3.7% less in St. Charles.
 Lake Forest, ILSt. Charles, ILUnited States
 Overall  Unlock95.4100
 Food & Groceries108.2  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock92.7100
 Housing285.4  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$380,900$338,100
 Utilities94  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock94.1100
 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 15 years ago

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

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Reviews for St. Charles    6 Reviews

Over 13 years ago

good  More

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Moving to Saint Charles from Kansas City was quite to sticker shock from a cost of living standpoint. I did do my homework and knew this would be the case, but it  More

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Over 16 years ago

St. Charles, Illinois is a small, trendy river town. It hosts amenities that appeal to everyone. Biking, running, walking, hiking, camping, horseback riding, kayaking,  More

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