Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cambridge, OH: $2,622 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge, OH
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Cambridge, OH Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Cambridge, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,622

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,622 in Cambridge, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Cambridge, OH $2,622

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,828 in Cambridge, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Cambridge, OH $3,828

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,034 in Cambridge, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Cambridge, OH $5,034

Chicago, IL costs about 20% more than Cambridge, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Cambridge, OH sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Cambridge, OH by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$14.47 $14.47

42.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$69.8 $69.8

29.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.02 $10.02

29.14%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.13 $4.13

35.59%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.48 $2.48

6.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.90 $1.90

19.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$9.93 $9.93

-29.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$11.99 $11.99

-26.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.81 $0.81

56.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.76 $2.76

37.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.83 $3.83

38.38%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.77 $3.77

26.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$13.74 $13.74

1.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$24.55 $24.55

-40.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$16.90 $16.90

11.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.92 $5.92

-12.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.91 $1.91

3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$7.22 $7.22

-45.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.33 $5.33

-6.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.65 $2.65

4.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.04 $3.04

-9.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.21 $2.21

0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.78 $2.78

7.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.09 $10.09

38.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$19.31 $19.31

-20.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.76 $1.76

46.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.38 $3.38

3.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.17 $2.17

13.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.03 $3.03

10.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.56 $1.56

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$32.51 $32.51

-25.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.03 $1.03

22.33%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

25.78%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.70%

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

$193 $193

$207 $207

-6.90%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$52.0 $52.0

31.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$57.2 $57.2

7.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$42.16 $42.16

28.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$14.11 $14.11

25.73%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$528 $528

212.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$6,378 $6,378

387.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$39.28 $39.28

68.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$46.80 $46.80

9.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$70.9 $70.9

41.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$119 $119

18.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,651 $1,651

48.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,317 $1,317

27.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,526 $2,526

86.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,172 $2,172

28.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,948 $2,948

39.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,574 $2,574

2.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.74

1.04%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cambridge, OH: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Cambridge, OH

$1.3K 50.2% 21.5% $361

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Cambridge, OH

$488 18.6% 8.5% $38

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Cambridge, OH

$287 10.9% 16.6% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Cambridge, OH

$316 12.1% 1.9% $6

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Cambridge, OH

$124 4.7% 23% $37

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Cambridge, OH

$19 * 0.7% 79.5% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Cambridge, OH

$70 2.7% 21.5% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,651 in Cambridge, 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $70.0 in Cambridge, OH. Groceries tell a different story – $449 in Chicago, IL vs $488 in Cambridge, OH – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Cambridge, OH

🕒 Local time

02:36 2:36 AM

03:36 3:36 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

105,162

💱 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 Cambridge, OH 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Chicago, IL costs about 20% more than Cambridge, OH, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,933 in Cambridge, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cambridge, OH, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $70.0 in Cambridge, OH. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,622 in Cambridge, OH. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cambridge, OH costs $2,622 versus $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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