Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Akron, OH: $2,222 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Akron, OH
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Akron, OH Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Akron, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,222 in Akron, OH.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Akron, OH $2,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,373 in Akron, OH.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Akron, OH $3,373

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $4,525 in Akron, OH.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Akron, OH $4,525

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 37% more expensive than in Akron, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Akron, OH 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.07 $17.07

21.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$74.1 $74.1

20.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.96 $9.96

32.43%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.79 $3.79

49.34%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.14 $2.14

23.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.59 $1.59

43.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.06 $5.06

35.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$4.86 $4.86

81.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.86 $0.86

45.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.46 $2.46

51.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$7.28 $7.28

-25.96%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.99 $4.99

-5.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$15.59 $15.59

-11.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$11.54 $11.54

24.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.23 $19.23

-4.42%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$7.07 $7.07

-26.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.58 $1.58

25.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$7.70 $7.70

-47.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.92 $6.92

-28.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.81 $3.81

-29.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.81 $3.81

-30.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.49 $2.49

-10.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.06 $2.06

51.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.13 $10.13

36.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.37 $14.37

3.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.75 $1.75

45.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$5.09 $5.09

-31.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.23 $1.23

97.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$50.2 $50.2

46.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$5.01 $5.01

-36.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.79 $1.79

-22.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.02 $1.02

17.65%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

25.89%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.43%

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

$194 $194

$244 $244

-20.43%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$41.85 $41.85

65.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$80.7 $80.7

-23.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$43.89 $43.89

9.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$17.57 $17.57

55.61%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$12.30 $12.30

44.80%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,048 $1,048

71.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$12.5K $12.5K

155.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$52.5 $52.5

27.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$64.0 $64.0

-18.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$104 $104

-2.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$126 $126

13.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,020 $1,020

147.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$843 $843

87.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,545 $1,545

206.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,518 $1,518

77.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,483 $1,483

182.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,196 $1,196

131.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$3,257 $3,257

51.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.08

12.01%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Akron, OH: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Akron, OH

$843 38% 46.6% $735

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Akron, OH

$456 20.5% 2% $8.8

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Akron, OH

$262 11.8% 24.1% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Akron, OH

$367 16.5% 12.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Akron, OH

$156 7% 4.9% $8

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Akron, OH

$69 3.1% 26.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Akron, OH

$69 3.1% 18% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,020 in Akron, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 51% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $74 in Akron, OH. Groceries flip the comparison at $447 vs $456, with Chicago, IL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Akron, OH

🕒 Local time

11:56 11:56 AM

12:56 12:56 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

197,542

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Akron, OH 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Akron, OH

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,222 in Akron, OH, so Akron, OH is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Chicago, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,020 in Akron, OH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,794 in Chicago, IL versus $1,048 in Akron, OH. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Akron, OH – a meal for two runs $74 versus $89 in Chicago, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,222 in Akron, OH versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Akron, OH but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Akron, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Akron, OH wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.