Chicago vs Columbus - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Columbus
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2799
$2181
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6454
$5273
🏠 One person rent
$1702
$1256
🏘️ Family rent
$2727
$2214
🍽️ Food expenses
$702
$662
🚐 Transport expenses
$204
$125
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5210
$3957
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
10 km
🎓 Higher education
100
72
😀 Quality of life
97
90
🏙️ Population
2.75M
906K

The cost of living in Chicago is 28% more expensive than in Columbus. Cities ranked 394th and 1512th ($2799 vs $2181) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 338th and 1292nd in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.9 months in Chicago compared to 1.8 months in Columbus. Ranked 2nd vs 64th best cities to live in the United States, and 16th vs 217th among the best cities to live in the world.

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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
$19.2
$19.3
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$86.5
$68
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$12.3
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.36
$6.21
 Cappuccino
$5.6
$4.98
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.99
$2.74
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1993
$1298
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1414
$973
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3215
$2399
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2313
$1787
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$108
$157
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$168
$244
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$64.8
$60.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.77%
6.42%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3645
$3028
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2499
$2566
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.48
$2.01
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$74.8
$61.3
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$17
$15.4
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.01
$0.83
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.08
$0.92
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$4.01
$3.13
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.93
$4.38
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.3
$4.13
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.4
$13.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.3
$14.4
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.8
$16.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.04
$6.06
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.8
$2.14
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.11
$6.2
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.56
$4.57
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.37
$3.03
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.76
$3.6
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.79
$1.36
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.14
$3.25
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.7
$18.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.81
$2.88
🚬 Cigarette pack
$16.5
$9.33
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$12.8
$9.22
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7
$3.75
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.84
$4.04
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.14
$2.23
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$68.2
$40.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17.1
$11.7
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$135
$86.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$28.7
$19.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$61.8
$56.1
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.8
$86.6
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2032
$1105
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$23423
$28983

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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
$2384
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2360
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2396
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2386
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2367
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2202
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2287
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2393
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2385
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2399
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2366
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2400
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2426
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2288
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2398
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2406
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2405
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2549
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2393
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2413
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2395
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$2030
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2327
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2392
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2379
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2462
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$2008
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2388
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2399
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2468
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2363
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2495
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2268
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2392
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2368
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2261
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2392
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1989
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2376
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2426

Cities near Columbus

Distance City Cost of living
8.6 km or 5.3 mi Upper Arlington
$2105
11 km or 7.1 mi Grove
$2091
13 km or 8.3 mi Gahanna
$2020
15 km or 9 mi Hilliard
$2094
17 km or 11 mi Reynoldsburg
$2030
18 km or 11 mi Dublin
$2084
19 km or 12 mi Westerville
$1836
22 km or 13 mi Pickerington
$2014
38 km or 24 mi Delaware
$2028
43 km or 27 mi Lancaster
$1951
43 km or 27 mi Marysville
$2019
51 km or 32 mi Newark
$1932
69 km or 43 mi Springfield
$1933
70 km or 43 mi Chillicothe
$1933
70 km or 44 mi Marion
$1954
84 km or 52 mi Zanesville
$1928
86 km or 53 mi Xenia
$1918
89 km or 55 mi Fairborn
$1842
94 km or 59 mi Beavercreek
$1918
97 km or 60 mi Huber Heights
$1934
97 km or 60 mi Mansfield
$1697
98 km or 61 mi Riverside
$1947
103 km or 64 mi Kettering
$1961
103 km or 64 mi Troy
$1965
104 km or 65 mi Athens
$1571
104 km or 65 mi Centerville
$1942
105 km or 65 mi Dayton
$1917
105 km or 65 mi Sidney
$2025
108 km or 67 mi Piqua
$1980
112 km or 69 mi Trotwood
$1957
116 km or 72 mi Ashland
$1684
120 km or 74 mi Lebanon
$1850
128 km or 80 mi Middletown
$1495
128 km or 80 mi Lima
$2188
130 km or 81 mi Wooster
$1482
131 km or 81 mi Mason
$1899
132 km or 82 mi Findlay
$1922
136 km or 84 mi Portsmouth
$1493
144 km or 90 mi New Philadelphia
$1743
146 km or 91 mi Norwalk
$2061