Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Bowling Green, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Bowling Green, OH: $984 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Bowling Green, OH
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Bowling Green, OH Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Bowling Green, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $984 in Bowling Green, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Bowling Green, OH $984

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,001 in Bowling Green, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Bowling Green, OH $2,001

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,018 in Bowling Green, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Bowling Green, OH $3,018

Chicago, IL costs about 212% more than Bowling Green, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chicago, IL sits 127% above the global median, while Bowling Green, OH is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$12.09 $12.09

68.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$45.37 $45.37

95.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$9.86 $9.86

30.32%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.49 $4.49

28.73%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.22 $2.22

23.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.30 $2.30

-1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$4.01 $4.01

71.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$4.05 $4.05

128.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.58 $0.58

117.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.61 $2.61

36.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$1.98 $1.98

171.72%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$2.88 $2.88

57.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$7.57 $7.57

80.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$6.21 $6.21

126.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$22.13 $22.13

-18.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.98 $5.98

-13.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.33 $1.33

48.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.76 $3.76

3.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.25 $4.25

13.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.92 $1.92

46.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.75 $1.75

52.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.39 $2.39

-13.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.28 $1.28

136.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.24 $11.24

23.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.18 $12.18

23.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.01 $2.01

30.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.49 $3.49

-1.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$5.07 $5.07

-37.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.89 $1.89

-10.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$50.2 $50.2

-50.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.92 $0.92

39.13%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

31.51%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.47%

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

$192 $192

$131 $131

46.52%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$56.7 $56.7

22.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$40.65 $40.65

52.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$34.67 $34.67

37.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

$25.22 $25.22

7.45%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$12.57 $12.57

41.85%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,392 $1,392

30.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$15.5K $15.5K

161.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$53.2 $53.2

24.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$40.77 $40.77

26.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$107 $107

-3.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$95.5 $95.5

49.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$763 $763

231.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$840 $840

225.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$3,915 $3,915

25.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.24

8.65%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Bowling Green, 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%

Bowling Green, OH

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Bowling Green, OH

$321 32.7% 26.9% $118

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Bowling Green, OH

$226 23% 34.2% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Bowling Green, OH

$228 23.2% 29.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Bowling Green, OH

$133 13.6% 18.6% $30

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Bowling Green, OH

$15 * 1.5% 85% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Bowling Green, OH

$60 6.1% 28.3% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $763 in Bowling Green, OH. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 26% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $45 in Bowling Green, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $321 – making Bowling Green, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Bowling Green, OH

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

12:52 12:52 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

53,176

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Bowling Green, OH 330 km

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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 Bowling Green, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $984 in Bowling Green, OH – Bowling Green, OH comes out roughly 68% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,475 in Bowling Green, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bowling Green, OH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $763 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $984 in Bowling Green, OH. That makes Bowling Green, OH about 68% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,815 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,392 in Bowling Green, OH. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bowling Green, OH, where all-in costs run around $984, than in Chicago, IL at $3,072. In Bowling Green, OH it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Bowling Green, OH. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.