Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens, OH: $1,669 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Athens, OH
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Athens, OH Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Athens, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL versus $1,669 in Athens, OH.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Athens, OH $1,669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,627 in Chicago, IL versus $2,495 in Athens, OH.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Athens, OH $2,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,115 in Chicago, IL versus $3,320 in Athens, OH.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Athens, OH $3,320

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 88% more expensive than in Athens, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 132% above, Athens, OH 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$14.74 $14.74

40.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$49.20 $49.20

83.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.18 $10.18

27.11%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.98 $4.98

12.45%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.25 $2.25

17.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.41 $1.41

60.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.93 $4.93

41.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.03 $7.03

25.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.69 $0.69

84.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.06 $2.06

84.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.01 $3.01

76.08%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.25 $4.25

12.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.64 $12.64

10.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$8.63 $8.63

69.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$16.20 $16.20

15.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.60 $3.60

44.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.96 $0.96

106.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.79 $2.79

40.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.96 $2.96

67.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.69 $1.69

63.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.18 $2.18

26.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.66 $1.66

33.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.92 $1.92

55.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.09 $9.09

54.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.83 $14.83

3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.14 $2.14

20.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.10 $3.10

12.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.02 $1.02

142.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.86 $3.86

-13.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.27 $1.27

12.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$25.15 $25.15

-3.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.87 $0.87

44.83%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$36.3K $36.3K

-3.49%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.04%

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

$193 $193

$150 $150

28.72%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$29.86 $29.86

128.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$48.41 $48.41

26.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$11.85 $11.85

49.70%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,476 $1,476

11.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$19.5K $19.5K

59.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$46.08 $46.08

43.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$45.56 $45.56

12.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$65.4 $65.4

53.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$108 $108

30.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,313 $1,313

86.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$701 $701

139.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,471 $1,471

220.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,216 $1,216

129.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$1,644 $1,644

149.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$1,650 $1,650

60.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$3,377 $3,377

44.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.59

3.34%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Athens, OH: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Athens, OH

$701 42% 58.2% $977

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Athens, OH

$322 19.3% 28.4% $128

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Athens, OH

$262 15.7% 23.8% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Athens, OH

$228 13.7% 29.3% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Athens, OH

$119 7.2% 26% $42

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Athens, OH

$14 * 0.9% 85% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Athens, OH

$24 * 1.4% 73.5% $66

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,446 in Chicago, IL and $1,313 in Athens, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 44% 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: $90.0 in Chicago, IL vs $49.00 in Athens, OH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $322 per month, with Athens, OH cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Athens, OH

🕒 Local time

12:00 12:00 PM

13:00 1:00 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

115,452

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Athens, OH 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Athens, OH is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,313 in Athens, OH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL versus $1,669 in Athens, OH – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,669 in Athens, OH versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Athens, OH but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Athens, OH the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Athens, OH is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chicago, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Athens, OH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Chicago, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.