Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Lewis Center, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Lewis Center, OH: $2,513 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Lewis Center, OH
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Lewis Center, OH Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Lewis Center, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,513

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,513 in Lewis Center, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Lewis Center, OH $2,513

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,600 in Lewis Center, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Lewis Center, OH $3,600

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,687 in Lewis Center, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Lewis Center, OH $4,687

Chicago, IL costs about 25% more than Lewis Center, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Lewis Center, OH sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Lewis Center, OH by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$20.28 $20.28

1.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$64.7 $64.7

39.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$9.96 $9.96

29.92%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.30 $5.30

5.66%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.23 $2.23

18.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.59 $1.59

42.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.04 $5.04

38.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$4.85 $4.85

82.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.91 $0.91

39.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.25 $3.25

16.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.19 $4.19

26.49%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.31 $3.31

43.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$11.07 $11.07

26.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$9.98 $9.98

46.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$15.87 $15.87

18.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.41 $3.41

52.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.49 $1.49

32.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.49 $4.49

-12.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.65 $3.65

35.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.71 $2.71

1.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.01 $2.01

37.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.23 $2.23

-0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.27 $2.27

31.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.90 $9.90

41.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$13.75 $13.75

11.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.94 $1.94

32.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.01 $3.01

16.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.24 $2.24

10.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.55 $2.55

30.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.30 $1.30

10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$26.54 $26.54

-8.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.07 $1.07

17.76%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$30.8K $30.8K

13.66%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

0.75%

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

$193 $193

$181 $181

6.39%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$61.2 $61.2

11.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$64.9 $64.9

-5.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$43.79 $43.79

23.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$12.06 $12.06

47.10%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,581 $1,581

4.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$14.3K $14.3K

117.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$45.65 $45.65

44.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.01 $40.01

28.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$73.1 $73.1

37.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$79.3 $79.3

77.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,561 $1,561

56.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,350 $1,350

24.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,181 $2,181

116.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,148 $2,148

30.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,729 $2,729

50.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,456 $2,456

7.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.51

4.61%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lewis Center, OH: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Lewis Center, OH

$1.4K 53.7% 19.5% $327

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Lewis Center, OH

$356 14.2% 20.8% $93

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Lewis Center, OH

$306 12.2% 10.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Lewis Center, OH

$307 12.2% 4.7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Lewis Center, OH

$107 4.3% 33.6% $54

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Lewis Center, OH

$18 * 0.7% 81.1% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Lewis Center, OH

$68 2.7% 24.2% $22

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 $1,561 in Lewis Center, 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 $65.0 in Lewis Center, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $356 – making Lewis Center, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Lewis Center, OH

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

10:00 10:00 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

11,261

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Lewis Center, OH 430 km

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,513 in Lewis Center, OH – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,769 in Lewis Center, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lewis Center, 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 $65.0 in Lewis Center, OH. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,513 in Lewis Center, OH. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,513 in Lewis Center, OH to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Lewis Center, 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.