Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Archbold, OH: $2,615 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Archbold, OH
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Archbold, OH Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Archbold, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,615

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL versus $2,615 in Archbold, OH.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Archbold, OH $2,615

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,545 in Chicago, IL versus $3,780 in Archbold, OH.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Archbold, OH $3,780

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,019 in Chicago, IL versus $4,946 in Archbold, OH.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Archbold, OH $4,946

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 17% more expensive than in Archbold, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 127% above, Archbold, OH 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$18.23 $18.23

11.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$63.7 $63.7

39.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$13.03 $13.03

-1.38%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.44 $5.44

6.25%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$3.12 $3.12

-12.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.02 $2.02

11.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$8.16 $8.16

-15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$9.08 $9.08

1.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.04 $1.04

21.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.57 $3.57

-0.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.44 $5.44

-1.10%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$3.84 $3.84

18.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$13.69 $13.69

-0.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$11.39 $11.39

23.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$16.28 $16.28

10.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.08 $5.08

1.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.53 $1.53

29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.44 $4.44

-12.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.88 $4.88

-1.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.49 $2.49

12.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.08 $3.08

-13.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.45 $2.45

-15.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.48 $2.48

22.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$10.15 $10.15

36.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.51 $15.51

-2.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.19 $3.19

-17.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.55 $3.55

-2.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.14 $2.14

13.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$53.1 $53.1

41.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.06 $3.06

3.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.57 $1.57

8.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$24.14 $24.14

3.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.18 $1.18

8.47%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$34.0K $34.0K

5.16%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

1.27%

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

$192 $192

$219 $219

-12.29%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$60.0 $60.0

16.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$68.7 $68.7

-9.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$37.98 $37.98

25.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$11.77 $11.77

51.49%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,359 $1,359

33.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$32.5K $32.5K

24.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$59.8 $59.8

10.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$41.81 $41.81

22.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$96.8 $96.8

6.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$120 $120

19.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,653 $1,653

53.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,246 $1,246

30.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$2,672 $2,672

80.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,038 $2,038

34.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$3,203 $3,203

29.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$2,073 $2,073

31.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.49

4.47%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Archbold, OH: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Archbold, OH

$1.2K 47.7% 23.1% $375

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Archbold, OH

$414 15.8% 5.7% $25

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Archbold, OH

$330 12.6% 4.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Archbold, OH

$348 13.3% 7.3% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Archbold, OH

$143 5.5% 12.6% $21

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Archbold, OH

$73 2.8% 25% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Archbold, OH

$62 2.4% 26.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,531 in Chicago, IL and $1,653 in Archbold, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $64 in Archbold, OH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $414 per month, with Archbold, OH cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Archbold, OH

🕒 Local time

04:30 4:30 AM

05:30 5:30 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

4,300

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Archbold, OH 280 km

From you

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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

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

Archbold, OH wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Archbold, OH the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,608 in Chicago, IL and $3,922 in Archbold, OH to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,653 in Archbold, OH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,815 in Chicago, IL versus $1,359 in Archbold, OH. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Archbold, OH is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Archbold, OH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.