Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth, OH: $1,880 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 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
90

Cost of Living Index in Portsmouth, OH
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Portsmouth, OH Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Portsmouth, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,880 in Portsmouth, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Portsmouth, OH $1,880

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,622 in Portsmouth, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Portsmouth, OH $2,622

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,364 in Portsmouth, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Portsmouth, OH $3,364

Chicago, IL costs about 62% more than Portsmouth, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Portsmouth, OH sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Portsmouth, OH by 38%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$14.26 $14.26

45.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$40.14 $40.14

122.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$7.94 $7.94

66.12%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.99 $3.99

41.85%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.19 $2.19

20.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.64 $1.64

39.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$10.14 $10.14

-32.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$12.17 $12.17

-27.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.79 $0.79

58.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.71 $2.71

37.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.76 $3.76

43.35%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$2.20 $2.20

115.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.79 $10.79

28.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$24.53 $24.53

-41.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$9.45 $9.45

94.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.81 $5.81

-10.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.94 $1.94

2.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$7.21 $7.21

-43.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.30 $5.30

-6.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.66 $2.66

0.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.78 $1.78

49.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.51 $1.51

48.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.73 $2.73

14.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.81 $9.81

40.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$19.76 $19.76

-24.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.78 $1.78

42.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.41 $3.41

2.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.03 $2.03

19.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$68.3 $68.3

7.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.07 $3.07

3.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.75 $1.75

-20.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$30.04 $30.04

-16.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.74 $0.74

62.16%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.1K $28.1K

24.50%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.79%

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

$194 $194

$205 $205

-5.31%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$50.6 $50.6

37.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$57.7 $57.7

6.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$41.15 $41.15

16.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.19 $14.19

25.51%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$530 $530

238.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$6,488 $6,488

392.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$30.43 $30.43

120.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$24.84 $24.84

109.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$57.6 $57.6

76.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$121 $121

18.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$572 $572

341.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$583 $583

170.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$766 $766

518.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$695 $695

287.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,766 $2,766

51.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,410 $2,410

14.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$1,591 $1,591

209.83%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth, OH: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Portsmouth, OH

$583 31% 63% $995

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Portsmouth, OH

$444 23.6% 0.8% $3.5

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Portsmouth, OH

$276 14.7% 19.9% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Portsmouth, OH

$314 16.7% 3.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Portsmouth, OH

$105 5.6% 35.8% $59

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Portsmouth, OH

$88 4.7% 5.5% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Portsmouth, OH

$70 3.7% 16.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $572 in Portsmouth, OH. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chicago, IL are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $40 in Portsmouth, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $444 – making Portsmouth, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Portsmouth, OH

🕒 Local time

03:07 3:07 AM

04:07 4:07 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

95,535

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Portsmouth, OH 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $1,880 in Portsmouth, OH – Portsmouth, OH comes out roughly 38% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,820 in Portsmouth, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portsmouth, OH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $572 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $40 in Portsmouth, OH. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Portsmouth, OH. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Portsmouth, OH, where all-in costs run around $1,880, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Portsmouth, OH it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Portsmouth, 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 Portsmouth, 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.