Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Medina, OH: $2,466 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Medina, OH
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Medina, OH Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Medina, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,466

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,466 in Medina, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Medina, OH $2,466

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,044 in Medina, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Medina, OH $4,044

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,622 in Medina, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Medina, OH $5,622

Chicago, IL costs about 23% more than Medina, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Medina, OH sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Medina, OH by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$18.29 $18.29

13.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$60.7 $60.7

46.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$9.88 $9.88

33.50%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$4.87 $4.87

16.22%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.04 $2.04

29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.99 $0.99

130.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$5.03 $5.03

36.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$6.91 $6.91

27.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.99 $0.99

26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.59 $3.59

3.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.45 $4.45

21.12%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.88 $3.88

22.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$8.92 $8.92

55.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.84 $12.84

12.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.60 $17.60

4.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.17 $5.17

0.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.46 $1.46

35.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.19 $4.19

-3.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.51 $5.51

-9.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.29 $1.29

106.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.48 $2.48

7.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.28 $2.28

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.96 $1.96

59.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.78 $8.78

57.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.02 $13.02

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.46 $1.46

73.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.47 $1.47

138.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.06 $4.06

-21.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.53 $1.53

-9.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$21.15 $21.15

18.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.05 $1.05

14.29%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$34.0K $34.0K

3.07%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.18%

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

$194 $194

$251 $251

-22.43%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$51.7 $51.7

34.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$70.1 $70.1

-12.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$37.46 $37.46

27.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$11.98 $11.98

48.66%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,790 $1,790

0.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$34.4K $34.4K

-7.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$45.84 $45.84

46.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$47.89 $47.89

8.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$75.0 $75.0

35.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$73.7 $73.7

95.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,029 $1,029

145.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,246 $1,246

26.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,728 $2,728

73.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,047 $3,047

-11.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.25

8.96%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medina, OH: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Medina, OH

$1.2K 50.6% 21% $332

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Medina, OH

$380 15.4% 15.1% $68

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Medina, OH

$286 11.6% 17.2% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Medina, OH

$372 15.1% 14.4% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Medina, OH

$109 4.4% 33.5% $55

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Medina, OH

$12 * 0.5% 87.5% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Medina, OH

$61 2.5% 26.4% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,029 in Medina, 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 $61 in Medina, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $380 – making Medina, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Medina, OH

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

17:36 5:36 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

26,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Medina, OH 490 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 Medina, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,466 in Medina, OH – Medina, OH comes out roughly 19% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,699 in Medina, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medina, OH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,029 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $61 in Medina, OH. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,466 in Medina, 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 $2,466 in Medina, OH to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.