Chicago vs Ottawa - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Ottawa
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2678
$2055
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6655
$4624
🏠 One person rent
$1596
$1212
🏘️ Family rent
$2946
$1940
🍽️ Food expenses
$700
$563
🚐 Transport expenses
$200
$162
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4876
$3115
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
100
50
😀 Quality of life
95
90
🏙️ Population
2.75M
1.02M

The cost of living in Chicago is 30% more expensive than in Ottawa. Cities ranked 529th and 1701st ($2678 vs $2055) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 483rd and 25th in the United States and Canada, respectively. Check the United States vs Canada comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 1.5 months in Ottawa. Chicago ranked 3rd best city to live in the United States vs Ottawa ranked 9th in Canada, while ranked 23rd and 162nd among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Chicago vs Ottawa infographic

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Prices in Chicago vs Ottawa

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

Chicago Ottawa
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21.9
$16
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$90.6
$65.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$10.6
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7
$5.54
☕ Cappuccino
$5.4
$3.82
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.95
$1.97
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1841
$1214
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1327
$1014
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3729
$2032
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2474
$1649
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$104
$109
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$159
$165
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$62.1
$49.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.68%
6.14%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3391
$4939
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2689
$4597
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.48
$2.82
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$75.1
$92
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.1
$15
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.06
$1.07
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.94
$2.38
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.68
$2.62
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.61
$2.98
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.13
$3.53
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.5
$13.9
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.2
$12.7
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.3
$14.8
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.67
$4.03
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.84
$1.31
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.36
$3.49
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.43
$3.8
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.18
$2.55
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.71
$2.95
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.81
$1.03
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.85
$2.38
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.9
$13.3
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.04
$2.47
🚬 Cigarette pack
$15
$12.3
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.5
$9.31
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.02
$4.15
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.63
$1.95
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.76
$1.46
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$63
$41.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$14.8
$10.5
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$127
$58.8
💇 Haircut, simple
$29.8
$15.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$59
$53.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.4
$88.5
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2114
$942
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$24502
$19030

Cost of living in other countries

ChicagoOttawa

Cost of living

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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
$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 Ottawa

Distance City Cost of living
7.4 km or 4.6 mi Gatineau
$1768
19 km or 12 mi Kanata
$2202
87 km or 54 mi Cornwall
$1633
94 km or 58 mi Brockville
$1875
124 km or 77 mi Salaberry-de-Valleyfield
$1894
128 km or 80 mi Mirabel
$1762
130 km or 81 mi Vaudreuil-Dorion
$1830
138 km or 86 mi Saint-Jerome
$1733
141 km or 87 mi Saint-Eustache
$1768
143 km or 89 mi Kirkland
$1807
144 km or 89 mi Blainville
$1761
146 km or 90 mi Sainte-Therese
$1753
147 km or 91 mi Pointe-Claire
$1819
147 km or 91 mi Boisbriand
$1732
147 km or 91 mi Dollard-des-Ormeaux
$1814
147 km or 91 mi Kingston
$1704
150 km or 93 mi Le Ray
$1814
152 km or 94 mi Dorval
$1810
152 km or 94 mi Chateauguay
$1841
153 km or 95 mi Laval
$1900
157 km or 98 mi Saint-Lin-Laurentides
$1690
158 km or 98 mi Cote-Saint-Luc
$1803
160 km or 100 mi Mount Royal
$1792
162 km or 101 mi Watertown
$1658
163 km or 102 mi Terrebonne
$1776
163 km or 102 mi Westmount
$1773
166 km or 103 mi Saint-Constant
$1824
167 km or 104 mi Montreal
$1857
167 km or 104 mi Mascouche
$1735
170 km or 106 mi Saint-Lambert
$1790
170 km or 106 mi Candiac
$1852
170 km or 106 mi Longueuil
$1835
171 km or 106 mi La Prairie
$1889
175 km or 109 mi Brossard
$2004
176 km or 109 mi Boucherville
$1804
177 km or 110 mi Repentigny
$1743
178 km or 111 mi Varennes
$1764
183 km or 114 mi L'Assomption
$1651
183 km or 114 mi Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville
$1836
185 km or 115 mi Sainte-Julie
$1800