Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Canton, OH: $1,749 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Canton, OH
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Canton, OH Living Index
147

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

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Canton, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,749

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,749 in Canton, OH versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Canton, OH $1,749
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,631 in Canton, OH versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Canton, OH $2,631
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,513 in Canton, OH versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Canton, OH $3,513
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Canton, OH costs roughly 42% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Canton, OH 29% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.70 $14.70

$20.71 $20.71

-29.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.7 $54.7

$89.2 $89.2

-38.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 $9.93

$13.19 $13.19

-24.72%

Cappuccino

$4.20 $4.20

$5.66 $5.66

-25.80%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$2.64 $2.64

-16.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.28 $2.28

-32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 $3.52

$6.87 $6.87

-48.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$8.84 $8.84

-66.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.25 $1.25

-31.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.72 $3.72

-24.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$5.39 $5.39

-25.42%

Eggs

$2.97 $2.97

$4.74 $4.74

-37.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 $11.28

$13.84 $13.84

-18.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.04 $10.04

$14.40 $14.40

-30.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.42 $16.42

$18.38 $18.38

-10.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$5.22 $5.22

-35.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.98 $1.98

-23.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$4.06 $4.06

7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$4.97 $4.97

-26.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.67 $2.67

-16.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.66 $2.66

-23.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.24 $2.24

-11.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$3.13 $3.13

-42.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.03 $9.03

$13.82 $13.82

-34.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 $11.04

$14.88 $14.88

-25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.54 $2.54

-21.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.51 $3.51

-12.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.43 $2.43

-26.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.65 $40.65

$73.5 $73.5

-44.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.18 $3.18

-22.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.39 $1.39

84.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.57 $40.57

$25.03 $25.03

62.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.20 $1.20

-24.17%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.48%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.48%

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

$176 $176

$194 $194

-9.40%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$69.5 $69.5

-22.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 $64.9

$61.6 $61.6

5.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.11 $23.11

$47.90 $47.90

-51.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$12.01 $12.01

$17.81 $17.81

-32.57%

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

$201 $201

$1,794 $1,794

-88.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K $14.1K

$31.9K $31.9K

-55.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.30 $44.30

$67.0 $67.0

-33.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.30 $39.30

$52.1 $52.1

-24.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 $73.9

$102 $102

-27.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 $77.4

$144 $144

-46.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 $1,179

$2,526 $2,526

-53.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$664 $664

$1,578 $1,578

-57.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 $2,205

$4,738 $4,738

-53.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 $1,181

$2,693 $2,693

-56.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,645 $1,645

$4,190 $4,190

-60.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,308 $1,308

$2,768 $2,768

-52.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,077 $3,077

$4,931 $4,931

-37.60%

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 Canton, OH: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canton, OH

$664 38%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 138% $914

Groceries & Markets

Canton, OH

$338 19.3%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 32.3% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canton, OH

$295 16.8%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 10.5% $31

Eating Out

Canton, OH

$236 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 45.9% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Canton, OH

$106 6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 55.2% $58

Getting Around

Canton, OH

$63 3.6%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 48% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Canton, OH

$47 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 77.2% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Canton, OH and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 60% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55 in Canton, OH vs $89 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $447 per month, with Canton, OH cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Canton, OH

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

05:40 5:40 AM

1 h behind Canton, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,885

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Canton, OH Chicago, IL 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Canton, 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

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

Canton, OH wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Canton, OH the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Canton, OH. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,179 in Canton, OH versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Canton, OH versus $1,794 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,749 in Canton, OH versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Canton, OH but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Canton, OH the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Canton, OH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.