Chicago vs Columbus - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Columbus
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2678
$2145
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6655
$5059
🏠 One person rent
$1596
$1248
🏘️ Family rent
$2946
$2171
🍽️ Food expenses
$700
$632
🚐 Transport expenses
$200
$125
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4876
$4018
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
10 km
🎓 Higher education
100
73
😀 Quality of life
95
88
🏙️ Population
2.75M
906K

The cost of living in Chicago is 25% more expensive than in Columbus. Cities ranked 529th and 1476th ($2678 vs $2145) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 483rd and 1323rd in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 1.9 months in Columbus. Ranked 3rd vs 59th best cities to live in the United States, and 23rd vs 249th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Chicago vs Columbus infographic

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Prices in Chicago vs Columbus

Prices for goods and services in Chicago and Columbus are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Chicago Columbus
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21.9
$18.9
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$90.6
$66.4
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$11.7
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7
$5.69
 Cappuccino
$5.4
$4.78
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.95
$2.44
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1841
$1314
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1327
$972
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3729
$2378
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2474
$1757
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$104
$149
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$159
$232
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$62.1
$57.9
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.68%
6.57%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3391
$3095
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2689
$2954
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.48
$2.01
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$75.1
$60.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.1
$15.4
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.06
$0.86
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.94
$0.92
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.68
$2.74
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.61
$3.43
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.13
$3.4
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.5
$13.3
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.2
$13.8
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.3
$15.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.67
$5.29
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.84
$1.32
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.36
$5.69
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.43
$4.95
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.18
$3.12
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.71
$3.04
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.81
$1.47
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.85
$3.28
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.9
$18.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.04
$2.66
🚬 Cigarette pack
$15
$9.45
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.5
$9.35
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.02
$3.76
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.63
$4.07
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.76
$2.2
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$63
$42.3
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$14.8
$11.7
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$127
$85.5
💇 Haircut, simple
$29.8
$19.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$59
$61
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.4
$89.4
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2114
$1236
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$24502
$15423

Cost of living in other countries

ChicagoColumbus

Cost of living

$349

$907

$6.64K

More cities to compare

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2425
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2421
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2510
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2426
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2444
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2194
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2256
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2401
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2418
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2384
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2314
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2334
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2389
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2264
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2377
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2392
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2363
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2509
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2359
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2393
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2360
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1938
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2362
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2363
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2344
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2396
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1948
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2350
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2378
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2446
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2369
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2506
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2342
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2367
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2342
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2227
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2345
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1954
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2351
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2371

Cities near Columbus

Distance City Cost of living
8.6 km or 5.3 mi Upper Arlington
$2084
11 km or 7.1 mi Grove
$2062
13 km or 8.3 mi Gahanna
$1986
15 km or 9 mi Hilliard
$2085
17 km or 11 mi Reynoldsburg
$1994
18 km or 11 mi Dublin
$2095
19 km or 12 mi Westerville
$1798
22 km or 13 mi Pickerington
$1983
38 km or 24 mi Delaware
$1851
43 km or 27 mi Lancaster
$1903
43 km or 27 mi Marysville
$1968
51 km or 32 mi Newark
$1881
69 km or 43 mi Springfield
$1897
70 km or 43 mi Chillicothe
$1764
70 km or 44 mi Marion
$1871
84 km or 52 mi Zanesville
$1825
86 km or 53 mi Xenia
$1870
89 km or 55 mi Fairborn
$1798
94 km or 59 mi Beavercreek
$1862
97 km or 60 mi Huber Heights
$1852
97 km or 60 mi Mansfield
$1832
98 km or 61 mi Riverside
$1865
103 km or 64 mi Kettering
$1890
103 km or 64 mi Troy
$1897
104 km or 65 mi Athens
$1674
104 km or 65 mi Centerville
$1902
105 km or 65 mi Dayton
$1783
105 km or 65 mi Sidney
$1973
108 km or 67 mi Piqua
$1914
112 km or 69 mi Trotwood
$1870
116 km or 72 mi Ashland
$1681
120 km or 74 mi Lebanon
$1834
128 km or 80 mi Middletown
$1427
128 km or 80 mi Lima
$1923
130 km or 81 mi Wooster
$1481
131 km or 81 mi Mason
$1853
132 km or 82 mi Findlay
$1839
136 km or 84 mi Portsmouth
$1428
144 km or 90 mi New Philadelphia
$1683
146 km or 91 mi Norwalk
$1858