Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Tiffin, OH: $1,699 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Tiffin, OH
Learn more

Tiffin, OH Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Tiffin, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,699

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,699 in Tiffin, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Tiffin, OH $1,699

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,455 in Tiffin, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Tiffin, OH $2,455

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,210 in Tiffin, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Tiffin, OH $3,210

Chicago, IL costs about 81% more than Tiffin, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Tiffin, OH sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Tiffin, OH by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$9.96 $9.96

104.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$43.80 $43.80

102.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$7.05 $7.05

82.27%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.65 $5.65

2.30%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.06 $2.06

33.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.97 $1.97

14.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$8.15 $8.15

-15.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$4.86 $4.86

90.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.76 $0.76

65.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.59 $3.59

-1.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.42 $5.42

-0.74%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$3.99 $3.99

14.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$6.63 $6.63

105.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$6.69 $6.69

110.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$11.12 $11.12

62.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.98 $4.98

3.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.22 $1.22

62.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.63 $4.63

-16.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.88 $4.88

-1.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.48 $2.48

13.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.14 $3.14

-14.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.19 $2.19

-5.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.38 $2.38

27.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$8.11 $8.11

71.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$8.88 $8.88

69.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.16 $3.16

-16.77%

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

$2.93 $2.93

8.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.57 $1.57

8.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$24.30 $24.30

2.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.00 $1.00

28.00%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$34.0K $34.0K

5.39%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.65%

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

$192 $192

$216 $216

-11.20%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$60.7 $60.7

14.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$69.7 $69.7

-10.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$10.12 $10.12

76.19%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,351 $1,351

34.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$32.4K $32.4K

25.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$58.1 $58.1

14.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$41.78 $41.78

23.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$97.3 $97.3

6.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$117 $117

21.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$952 $952

165.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$610 $610

165.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$1,164 $1,164

314.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$993 $993

175.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$1,258 $1,258

230.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$1,258 $1,258

116.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$5,093 $5,093

-3.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

5.5

23.27%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Tiffin, OH: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Tiffin, OH

$610 35.9% 62.3% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Tiffin, OH

$335 19.7% 23.8% $105

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Tiffin, OH

$235 13.8% 31.6% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Tiffin, OH

$347 20.4% 7.1% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Tiffin, OH

$141 8.3% 13.5% $22

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Tiffin, OH

$11 * 0.6% 88.9% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Tiffin, OH

$20 * 1.2% 75.7% $63

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 $952 in Tiffin, 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 3% higher in Tiffin, OH, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $44 in Tiffin, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $335 – making Tiffin, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Tiffin, OH

🕒 Local time

01:43 1:43 AM

02:43 2:43 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

17,347

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chicago, IL Tiffin, OH 380 km

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $1,699 in Tiffin, OH – Tiffin, OH comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,549 in Tiffin, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tiffin, OH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $952 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $44 in Tiffin, OH. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tiffin, OH, where all-in costs run around $1,699, than in Chicago, IL at $3,072. In Tiffin, OH it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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