Chicago vs Columbus - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Columbus
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2851
$2140
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6527
$5154
🏠 One person rent
$1714
$1207
🏘️ Family rent
$2737
$2066
🍽️ Food expenses
$704
$667
🚐 Transport expenses
$212
$126
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5090
$3790
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ 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 33% more expensive than in Columbus. Cities ranked 358th and 1634th ($2851 vs $2140) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 300th and 1324th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 1.8 months in Columbus. Ranked 3rd vs 73rd best cities to live in the United States, and 18th vs 266th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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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
$19.6
$20.9
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$84.3
$68.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12.7
$12.1
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.35
$6.36
☕ Cappuccino
$6.06
$5.1
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.85
$2.65
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2011
$1354
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1414
$919
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3203
$2171
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2316
$1698
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$117
$141
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$180
$213
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$63.3
$60.4
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.32%
6.08%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3899
$3423
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2568
$1817
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.51
$1.99
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$82.6
$60.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.5
$15.5
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.12
$0.92
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.2
$0.89
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.67
$3.07
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.62
$4.49
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.11
$4.28
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.2
$14.1
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.5
$14
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.1
$16
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.78
$5.58
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.86
$1.65
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.96
$6.1
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.01
$4.77
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.39
$2.59
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.63
$3.43
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.79
$1.55
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.71
$4.03
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16
$18.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.02
$2.77
🚬 Cigarette pack
$17.4
$9.99
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$9.23
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.05
$3.74
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.22
$4.09
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.31
$2.21
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$74.6
$38.4
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17
$12.2
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$177
$86.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$32.8
$20.2
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.9
$56.5
👟 Brand Sneakers
$105
$90.8
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1582
$1464
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$27880
$20945

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2444
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2399
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2440
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2425
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2423
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2232
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2309
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2454
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2430
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2463
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2376
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2394
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2461
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2323
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2444
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2483
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2436
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2569
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2436
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2508
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2425
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1751
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2440
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2443
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2439
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2580
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1761
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2429
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2400
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2508
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2463
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2543
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2418
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2438
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2425
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2406
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2418
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1784
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2423
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2453

Cities near Columbus

Distance City Cost of living
8.6 km or 5.3 mi Upper Arlington
$2116
11 km or 7.1 mi Grove
$2075
13 km or 8.3 mi Gahanna
$2088
15 km or 9 mi Hilliard
$2120
17 km or 11 mi Reynoldsburg
$2064
18 km or 11 mi Dublin
$2117
19 km or 12 mi Westerville
$1897
22 km or 13 mi Pickerington
$2021
38 km or 24 mi Delaware
$2018
43 km or 27 mi Lancaster
$1928
43 km or 27 mi Marysville
$2008
51 km or 32 mi Newark
$1919
69 km or 43 mi Springfield
$1836
70 km or 43 mi Chillicothe
$1849
70 km or 44 mi Marion
$1941
84 km or 52 mi Zanesville
$1626
86 km or 53 mi Xenia
$1824
89 km or 55 mi Fairborn
$1663
94 km or 59 mi Beavercreek
$1811
97 km or 60 mi Huber Heights
$1833
97 km or 60 mi Mansfield
$1567
98 km or 61 mi Riverside
$1880
103 km or 64 mi Kettering
$1908
103 km or 64 mi Troy
$1855
104 km or 65 mi Athens
$1579
104 km or 65 mi Centerville
$1906
105 km or 65 mi Dayton
$1898
105 km or 65 mi Sidney
$1745
108 km or 67 mi Piqua
$1836
112 km or 69 mi Trotwood
$1933
116 km or 72 mi Ashland
$1707
120 km or 74 mi Lebanon
$1843
128 km or 80 mi Middletown
$1617
128 km or 80 mi Lima
$2066
130 km or 81 mi Wooster
$1599
131 km or 81 mi Mason
$1900
132 km or 82 mi Findlay
$1881
136 km or 84 mi Portsmouth
$1495
144 km or 90 mi New Philadelphia
$1818
146 km or 91 mi Norwalk
$1936