Chicago vs Ottawa - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Ottawa
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2799
$2096
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6454
$4619
🏠 One person rent
$1702
$1231
🏘️ Family rent
$2727
$1937
🍽️ Food expenses
$702
$576
🚐 Transport expenses
$204
$166
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5210
$3333
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
100
50
😀 Quality of life
97
92
🏙️ Population
2.75M
1.02M

The cost of living in Chicago is 34% more expensive than in Ottawa. Cities ranked 394th and 1744th ($2799 vs $2096) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 338th and 24th 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 1.9 months in Chicago compared to 1.6 months in Ottawa. Chicago ranked 2nd best city to live in the United States vs Ottawa ranked 11th in Canada, while ranked 16th and 129th 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
$19.2
$16.1
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$86.5
$63.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$10.8
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.36
$5.52
☕ Cappuccino
$5.6
$3.81
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.99
$2
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1993
$1295
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1414
$1036
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3215
$2109
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2313
$1647
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$108
$95.9
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$168
$150
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$64.8
$47.4
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.77%
5.23%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3645
$4937
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2499
$3196
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.48
$2.84
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$74.8
$95.2
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$17
$15.2
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.01
$1.04
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.08
$2.35
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$4.01
$2.55
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.93
$2.89
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.3
$3.53
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.4
$13.6
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.3
$13.7
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.8
$15.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.04
$3.9
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.8
$1.31
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.11
$3.6
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.56
$3.88
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.37
$2.59
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.76
$3.16
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.79
$0.99
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.14
$2.77
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.7
$13.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.81
$2.61
🚬 Cigarette pack
$16.5
$12.9
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$12.8
$11.6
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7
$4.18
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.84
$1.9
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.14
$1.76
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$68.2
$42.4
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$17.1
$10.7
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$135
$66
💇 Haircut, simple
$28.7
$16.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$61.8
$56.4
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.8
$89
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2032
$783
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$23423
$15527

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
$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 Ottawa

Distance City Cost of living
7.4 km or 4.6 mi Gatineau
$1802
19 km or 12 mi Kanata
$2166
87 km or 54 mi Cornwall
$1660
94 km or 58 mi Brockville
$1836
124 km or 77 mi Salaberry-de-Valleyfield
$1935
128 km or 80 mi Mirabel
$1782
130 km or 81 mi Vaudreuil-Dorion
$1850
138 km or 86 mi Saint-Jerome
$1753
141 km or 87 mi Saint-Eustache
$1806
143 km or 89 mi Kirkland
$1835
144 km or 89 mi Blainville
$1780
146 km or 90 mi Sainte-Therese
$1785
147 km or 91 mi Pointe-Claire
$1838
147 km or 91 mi Boisbriand
$1763
147 km or 91 mi Dollard-des-Ormeaux
$1829
147 km or 91 mi Kingston
$1437
150 km or 93 mi Le Ray
$1822
152 km or 94 mi Dorval
$1853
152 km or 94 mi Chateauguay
$1867
153 km or 95 mi Laval
$1930
157 km or 98 mi Saint-Lin-Laurentides
$1719
158 km or 98 mi Cote-Saint-Luc
$1835
160 km or 100 mi Mount Royal
$1820
162 km or 101 mi Watertown
$1649
163 km or 102 mi Terrebonne
$1805
163 km or 102 mi Westmount
$1814
166 km or 103 mi Saint-Constant
$1864
167 km or 104 mi Montreal
$1903
167 km or 104 mi Mascouche
$1766
170 km or 106 mi Saint-Lambert
$1828
170 km or 106 mi Candiac
$1892
170 km or 106 mi Longueuil
$1842
171 km or 106 mi La Prairie
$1911
175 km or 109 mi Brossard
$2055
176 km or 109 mi Boucherville
$1820
177 km or 110 mi Repentigny
$1767
178 km or 111 mi Varennes
$1786
183 km or 114 mi L'Assomption
$1671
183 km or 114 mi Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville
$1869
185 km or 115 mi Sainte-Julie
$1822