Chicago vs Ottawa - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Ottawa
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2667
$2236
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6807
$4945
🏠 One person rent
$1579
$1327
🏘️ Family rent
$3056
$2038
🍽️ Food expenses
$700
$603
🚐 Transport expenses
$205
$179
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4901
$3150
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
100
50
😀 Quality of life
96
89
🏙️ Population
2.75M
1.02M

The cost of living in Chicago is 19% more expensive than in Ottawa. Cities ranked 483rd and 1290th ($2667 vs $2236) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 425th and 23rd 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 1.4 months in Ottawa. Chicago ranked 3rd best city to live in the United States vs Ottawa ranked 12th in Canada, while ranked 20th and 167th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Chicago vs Ottawa infographic

Share this infographic!

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
$17.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$87.3
$74.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.7
$11.2
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.62
$5.89
☕ Cappuccino
$5.4
$3.95
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.12
$2.31
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1974
$1288
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1280
$1129
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3828
$2131
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2594
$1732
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$102
$113
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$156
$173
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$59.1
$53.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.61%
6.47%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3554
$5242
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3158
$4784
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.49
$2.78
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$76.5
$94.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.6
$18.7
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.12
$1.12
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.02
$2.35
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.92
$2.72
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5
$3.35
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.69
$3.47
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.8
$15.7
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.8
$12.5
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.9
$14.8
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.97
$4.41
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.91
$1.4
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.81
$3.26
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.56
$4.06
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.34
$2.79
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.08
$2.98
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$1.28
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.86
$2.17
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.8
$14.9
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.9
$2.56
🚬 Cigarette pack
$16.6
$13.1
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$10.5
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.03
$4.37
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.65
$2.05
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.81
$1.54
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$63.1
$44.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$15
$11.2
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$126
$63.6
💇 Haircut, simple
$29.3
$15.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.2
$59
👟 Brand Sneakers
$95.5
$105
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2457
$1037
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$19423
$20100

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

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
$2427
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2463
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2424
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2375
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2376
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2177
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2307
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2344
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2352
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2326
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2367
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2412
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2393
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2292
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2313
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2305
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2360
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2358
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2292
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2268
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2292
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1950
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2293
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2296
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2295
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2224
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1975
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2276
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2392
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2363
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2276
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2380
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2290
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2269
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2280
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2134
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2331
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$2002
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2274
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2357

Cities near Ottawa

Distance City Cost of living
7.4 km or 4.6 mi Gatineau
$1542
19 km or 12 mi Kanata
$2336
87 km or 54 mi Cornwall
$1677
94 km or 58 mi Brockville
$2004
124 km or 77 mi Salaberry-de-Valleyfield
$2002
128 km or 80 mi Mirabel
$1828
130 km or 81 mi Vaudreuil-Dorion
$1921
138 km or 86 mi Saint-Jerome
$1805
141 km or 87 mi Saint-Eustache
$1839
143 km or 89 mi Kirkland
$1897
144 km or 89 mi Blainville
$1799
146 km or 90 mi Sainte-Therese
$1785
147 km or 91 mi Pointe-Claire
$1908
147 km or 91 mi Boisbriand
$1751
147 km or 91 mi Dollard-des-Ormeaux
$1898
147 km or 91 mi Kingston
$1791
150 km or 93 mi Le Ray
$1828
152 km or 94 mi Dorval
$1912
152 km or 94 mi Chateauguay
$1964
153 km or 95 mi Laval
$1996
157 km or 98 mi Saint-Lin-Laurentides
$1773
158 km or 98 mi Cote-Saint-Luc
$1890
160 km or 100 mi Mount Royal
$1871
162 km or 101 mi Watertown
$1686
163 km or 102 mi Terrebonne
$1849
163 km or 102 mi Westmount
$1861
166 km or 103 mi Saint-Constant
$1912
167 km or 104 mi Montreal
$1954
167 km or 104 mi Mascouche
$1821
170 km or 106 mi Saint-Lambert
$1873
170 km or 106 mi Candiac
$1927
170 km or 106 mi Longueuil
$1896
171 km or 106 mi La Prairie
$1960
175 km or 109 mi Brossard
$2057
176 km or 109 mi Boucherville
$1878
177 km or 110 mi Repentigny
$1823
178 km or 111 mi Varennes
$1845
183 km or 114 mi L'Assomption
$1740
183 km or 114 mi Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville
$1912
185 km or 115 mi Sainte-Julie
$1884