Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Batavia, OH: $2,675 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Batavia, OH
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Batavia, OH Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Batavia, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,675

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,675 in Batavia, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Batavia, OH $2,675

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,898 in Batavia, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Batavia, OH $3,898

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,120 in Batavia, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Batavia, OH $5,120

Chicago, IL costs about 14% more than Batavia, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Batavia, OH sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Batavia, OH by 97%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$21.95 $21.95

-5.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$78.2 $78.2

14.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.05 $12.05

9.46%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.45 $5.45

3.85%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.55 $2.55

3.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.00 $2.00

14.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.14 $6.14

11.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.89 $6.89

28.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.91 $0.91

37.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.25 $3.25

14.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.33 $5.33

1.13%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.80 $3.80

24.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$14.17 $14.17

-2.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.71 $14.71

-2.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$13.41 $13.41

37.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.58 $6.58

-20.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.33 $1.33

48.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$6.15 $6.15

-33.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.45 $4.45

11.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.86 $2.86

-6.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.44 $3.44

-22.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.26 $2.26

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.28 $2.28

37.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$10.03 $10.03

37.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.31 $16.31

-8.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.18 $2.18

16.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.09 $3.09

13.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.15 $2.15

13.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$52.7 $52.7

39.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.08 $3.08

3.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.30 $1.30

6.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$26.97 $26.97

-7.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.03 $1.03

16.50%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.1K $31.1K

12.70%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.4K $25.4K

4.92%

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

$194 $194

$223 $223

-12.98%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$67.0 $67.0

3.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$68.2 $68.2

-9.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$39.54 $39.54

21.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$13.03 $13.03

36.68%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,531 $1,531

17.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$34.4K $34.4K

-7.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$50.1 $50.1

33.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$41.87 $41.87

24.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$80.4 $80.4

26.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$110 $110

30.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,557 $1,557

62.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,289 $1,289

22.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,516 $2,516

88.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,088 $2,088

28.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,871 $2,871

45.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,353 $2,353

17.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.64

2.56%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Batavia, OH: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Batavia, OH

$1.3K 48.2% 18.3% $289

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Batavia, OH

$424 15.8% 5.3% $24

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Batavia, OH

$340 12.7% 1.5% $5.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Batavia, OH

$359 13.4% 10.2% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Batavia, OH

$127 4.8% 22.6% $37

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Batavia, OH

$71 2.7% 24.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Batavia, OH

$66 2.5% 21.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,557 in Batavia, OH. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $78 in Batavia, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $424 – making Batavia, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Batavia, OH

🕒 Local time

15:34 3:34 PM

16:34 4:34 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

15,600

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Batavia, OH 430 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 Batavia, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,675 in Batavia, OH – Batavia, OH comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,012 in Batavia, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Batavia, OH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,557 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Public transport costs about 28% less in Batavia, OH. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,794 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,531 in Batavia, OH. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Batavia, OH, where all-in costs run around $2,675, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Batavia, OH it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Batavia, OH is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 12% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.