Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bellbrook, OH: $1,973 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Bellbrook, OH
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Bellbrook, OH Living Index
153

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

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Bellbrook, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,973

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bellbrook, 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 Bellbrook, OH and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,973 per month in Bellbrook, OH vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bellbrook, OH $1,973
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,284 per month in Bellbrook, OH vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bellbrook, OH $3,284
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,595 per month in Bellbrook, OH vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bellbrook, OH $4,595
Chicago, IL $6,077

Bellbrook, OH is about 38% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bellbrook, OH and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Bellbrook, OH by 46%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.84 $14.84

$21.58 $21.58

-31.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 $55.6

$88.7 $88.7

-37.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$13.20 $13.20

-24.55%

Cappuccino

$4.50 $4.50

$5.59 $5.59

-19.50%

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

$1.59 $1.59

$2.63 $2.63

-39.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.26 $2.26

-13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.59 $4.59

$7.11 $7.11

-35.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$9.23 $9.23

-67.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.28 $1.28

-40.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.84 $3.84

-17.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$5.07 $5.07

-11.05%

Eggs

$4.43 $4.43

$4.84 $4.84

-8.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.02 $11.02

$14.17 $14.17

-22.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 $9.68

$14.61 $14.61

-33.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.36 $22.36

$18.76 $18.76

19.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$5.19 $5.19

12.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.00 $2.00

-23.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$4.00 $4.00

8.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.22 $7.22

$4.98 $4.98

44.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.79 $2.79

29.75%

Onion (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.65 $2.65

66.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.13 $2.13

-4.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.09 $3.09

-0.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.67 $8.67

$16.05 $16.05

-45.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.79 $11.79

$15.20 $15.20

-22.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.62 $2.62

-24.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.46 $3.46

0.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.47 $2.47

-18.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.21 $3.21

58.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.39 $1.39

32.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.79 $49.79

$25.02 $25.02

99.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.24 $1.24

-26.61%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$37.2K $37.2K

-0.52%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.8K $25.8K

1.92%

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

$233 $233

$192 $192

21.09%

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

$51.8 $51.8

$67.8 $67.8

-23.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 $58.6

$60.9 $60.9

-3.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.92 $40.92

$53.6 $53.6

-23.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$12.57 $12.57

$17.80 $17.80

-29.38%

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

$1,392 $1,392

$1,554 $1,554

-10.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.3K $26.3K

$31.4K $31.4K

-16.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 $54.0

$67.9 $67.9

-20.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.48 $40.48

$50.8 $50.8

-20.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.2 $69.2

$101 $101

-31.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 $93.4

$143 $143

-34.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 $1,211

$2,383 $2,383

-49.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 $759

$1,712 $1,712

-55.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 $1,819

$4,674 $4,674

-61.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,014 $2,014

$2,738 $2,738

-26.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,947 $2,947

$4,158 $4,158

-29.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,520 $2,520

$2,691 $2,691

-6.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,600 $5,600

$4,894 $4,894

14.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.77

-3.99%

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

Last update for Bellbrook, OH: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bellbrook, OH

$759 38.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 126% $953

Groceries & Markets

Bellbrook, OH

$421 21.3%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 7.3% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellbrook, OH

$343 17.4%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 6.5% $22

Eating Out

Bellbrook, OH

$246 12.5%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 43.6% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Bellbrook, OH

$116 5.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 41.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Bellbrook, OH

$66 3.4%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 35% $23

Getting Around

Bellbrook, OH

$22 * 1.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 324% $73

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,211 in Bellbrook, OH versus $2,383 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.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Bellbrook, OH, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Bellbrook, OH versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $421 vs $451 – making Bellbrook, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellbrook, OH

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

11:15 11:15 AM

10:15 10:15 AM

1 h behind Bellbrook, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,300

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Bellbrook, OH Chicago, IL 390 km

From you

Bellbrook, 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

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

Chicago, IL costs about 61% more than Bellbrook, OH, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,959 per month in Bellbrook, OH and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bellbrook, 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 $56.0 in Bellbrook, OH and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bellbrook, OH, where all-in costs run around $1,973, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Bellbrook, OH it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bellbrook, OH costs $1,973 versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Bellbrook, 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.