Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bedford, OH and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Bedford, OH: $2,572 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Bedford, OH
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Bedford, OH Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Bedford, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,572

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bedford, OH and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bedford, OH and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,572 per month in Bedford, OH vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bedford, OH $2,572
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,749 per month in Bedford, OH vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bedford, OH $3,749
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,927 per month in Bedford, OH vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bedford, OH $4,927
Chicago, IL $6,115

Bedford, OH is about 18% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bedford, OH and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Bedford, OH by 90%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.22 $19.22

$20.65 $20.65

-6.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 $75.1

$90.2 $90.2

-16.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 $10.94

$12.94 $12.94

-15.46%

Cappuccino

$4.97 $4.97

$5.60 $5.60

-11.25%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.64 $2.64

-5.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.27 $2.27

-10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 $5.89

$6.98 $6.98

-15.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 $7.04

$8.83 $8.83

-20.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.27 $1.27

-18.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.80 $3.80

-5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$5.30 $5.30

-19.81%

Eggs

$4.07 $4.07

$4.76 $4.76

-14.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.18 $12.18

$13.96 $13.96

-12.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.59 $11.59

$14.61 $14.61

-20.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 $15.60

$18.77 $18.77

-16.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$5.19 $5.19

-3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.98 $1.98

-17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.93 $3.93

9.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$4.96 $4.96

-6.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.76 $2.76

2.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.22 $2.22

-4.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.98 $2.98

-26.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.46 $9.46

$14.02 $14.02

-32.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.97 $13.97

$15.28 $15.28

-8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.58 $2.58

-29.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.50 $3.50

-4.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.47 $2.47

-19.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.34 $3.34

4.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.43 $1.43

15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.57 $29.57

$24.32 $24.32

21.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.26 $1.26

-34.13%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.2K $29.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-16.46%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.63%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$190 $190

$193 $193

-1.22%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$53.7 $53.7

$68.3 $68.3

-21.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 $66.5

$61.3 $61.3

8.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.44 $42.44

$54.1 $54.1

-21.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 $13.23

$17.74 $17.74

-25.42%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,282 $1,282

$1,652 $1,652

-22.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$31.1K $31.1K

-24.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.92 $49.92

$66.1 $66.1

-24.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 $39.80

$51.2 $51.2

-22.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 $88.3

$100 $100

-11.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$141 $141

-19.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 $1,592

$2,446 $2,446

-34.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 $1,345

$1,678 $1,678

-19.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,605 $2,605

$4,717 $4,717

-44.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,202 $2,202

$2,795 $2,795

-21.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,822 $2,822

$4,105 $4,105

-31.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,427 $2,427

$2,650 $2,650

-8.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.81

-4.41%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bedford, OH: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bedford, OH

$1.3K 52.3%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 24.7% $333

Groceries & Markets

Bedford, OH

$389 15.1%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 15.6% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bedford, OH

$310 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 3.8% $12

Eating Out

Bedford, OH

$308 12%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 11.6% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Bedford, OH

$131 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 23% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Bedford, OH

$69 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 30% $21

Getting Around

Bedford, OH

$20 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 384% $75

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,592 in Bedford, OH versus $2,446 in Chicago, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Bedford, OH versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $449 – making Bedford, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bedford, OH

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

00:27 12:27 AM

23:27 11:27 PM

1 h behind Bedford, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,752

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Bedford, OH Chicago, IL 510 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bedford, OH
Chicago, IL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bedford, OH vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL costs about 22% more than Bedford, OH, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,857 per month in Bedford, OH and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bedford, OH, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Bedford, OH and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,572 in Bedford, OH and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bedford, OH costs $2,572 versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bedford, OH. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.