Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bowling Green, OH and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Bowling Green, OH: $984 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Bowling Green, OH
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Bowling Green, OH Living Index
146

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

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Bowling Green, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$984

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $984 per month in Bowling Green, OH vs $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bowling Green, OH $984
Chicago, IL $3,072

A couple spends around $2,001 per month in Bowling Green, OH vs $4,545 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bowling Green, OH $2,001
Chicago, IL $4,545

A family of three spends $3,018 per month in Bowling Green, OH vs $6,019 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Bowling Green, OH $3,018
Chicago, IL $6,019

Bowling Green, OH is about 68% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bowling Green, OH sits 27% below the global median, while Chicago, IL is 127% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.09 $12.09

$20.39 $20.39

-40.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 $45.37

$88.6 $88.6

-48.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 $9.86

$12.85 $12.85

-23.27%

Cappuccino

$4.49 $4.49

$5.78 $5.78

-22.32%

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

$2.22 $2.22

$2.74 $2.74

-18.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.26 $2.26

1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.01 $4.01

$6.88 $6.88

-41.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$9.24 $9.24

-56.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.58 $0.58

$1.26 $1.26

-53.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.55 $3.55

-26.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$5.38 $5.38

-63.20%

Eggs

$2.88 $2.88

$4.55 $4.55

-36.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 $7.57

$13.65 $13.65

-44.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$14.07 $14.07

-55.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.13 $22.13

$18.06 $18.06

22.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$5.16 $5.16

15.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.98 $1.98

-32.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$3.88 $3.88

-3.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$4.83 $4.83

-12.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.81 $2.81

-31.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.67 $2.67

-34.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.07 $2.07

15.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 $1.28

$3.03 $3.03

-57.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.24 $11.24

$13.90 $13.90

-19.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 $12.18

$15.05 $15.05

-19.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.63 $2.63

-23.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.45 $3.45

1.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.17 $3.17

59.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.70 $1.70

11.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.2 $50.2

$24.90 $24.90

101.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.28 $1.28

-28.13%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$35.8K $35.8K

-23.96%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.41%

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

$131 $131

$192 $192

-31.75%

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

$56.7 $56.7

$69.6 $69.6

-18.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.65 $40.65

$62.2 $62.2

-34.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.67 $34.67

$47.79 $47.79

-27.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 $25.22

$27.10 $27.10

-6.94%

Cinema Ticket

$12.57 $12.57

$17.83 $17.83

-29.50%

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

$1,392 $1,392

$1,815 $1,815

-23.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K $15.5K

$40.6K $40.6K

-61.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$66.2 $66.2

-19.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.77 $40.77

$51.4 $51.4

-20.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$103 $103

3.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 $95.5

$143 $143

-33.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 $763

$2,531 $2,531

-69.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$840 $840

$2,734 $2,734

-69.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,915 $3,915

$4,924 $4,924

-20.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

6.78

-7.96%

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

Last update for Bowling Green, OH: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bowling Green, OH

$321 32.7%

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3% 36.7% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bowling Green, OH

$228 23.2%

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5% 41.8% $95

Eating Out

Bowling Green, OH

$226 23%

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2% 51.9% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Bowling Green, OH

$133 13.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3% 22.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Bowling Green, OH

$60 6.1%

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7% 39.5% $24

Getting Around

Bowling Green, OH

$15 * 1.5%

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2% 566% $82

Accommodation & Living

Bowling Green, OH

- * 0%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in Bowling Green, OH versus $2,531 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 26% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bowling Green, OH versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $439 – making Bowling Green, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bowling Green, OH

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

12:52 12:52 PM

11:52 11:52 AM

1 h behind Bowling Green, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,176

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bowling Green, OH Chicago, IL 330 km

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Bowling Green, OH
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $984 in Bowling Green, OH, $3,072 in Chicago, IL – Bowling Green, OH comes out roughly 68% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,475 per month in Bowling Green, OH and $4,608 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bowling Green, OH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $763 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $984 in Bowling Green, OH and $3,072 in Chicago, IL. That makes Bowling Green, OH about 68% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,392 per month in Bowling Green, OH and $1,815 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bowling Green, OH, where all-in costs run around $984, than in Chicago, IL at $3,072. In Bowling Green, OH it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bowling Green, OH – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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