Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Van Wert, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Van Wert, OH: $2,615 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Van Wert, OH
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Van Wert, OH Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Van Wert, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,615

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,615 in Van Wert, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Van Wert, OH $2,615

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,864 in Van Wert, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Van Wert, OH $3,864

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,113 in Van Wert, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Van Wert, OH $5,113

Chicago, IL costs about 16% more than Van Wert, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Van Wert, OH sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Van Wert, OH by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$21.57 $21.57

-3.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$78.2 $78.2

14.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$12.20 $12.20

8.11%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.38 $5.38

5.20%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.59 $2.59

1.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.99 $1.99

14.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.09 $6.09

12.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.03 $7.03

25.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.90 $0.90

38.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.07 $3.07

21.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.20 $5.20

3.65%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$3.90 $3.90

21.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$10.02 $10.02

38.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.83 $14.83

-2.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$16.03 $16.03

14.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.55 $6.55

-20.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.68 $1.68

17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.88 $5.88

-30.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.88 $4.88

1.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.92 $2.92

-8.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.39 $3.39

-21.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.23 $2.23

0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.27 $2.27

37.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.78 $8.78

57.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.89 $14.89

-0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.10 $2.10

20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.11 $3.11

12.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.26 $2.26

7.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$56.7 $56.7

29.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.94 $2.94

8.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.29 $1.29

7.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$27.26 $27.26

-8.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.04 $1.04

15.38%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.3K $31.3K

12.05%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.67%

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

$194 $194

$182 $182

7.03%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$66.5 $66.5

4.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$67.4 $67.4

-8.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$38.18 $38.18

25.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$13.08 $13.08

36.16%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,544 $1,544

16.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$34.8K $34.8K

-8.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$49.85 $49.85

34.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$42.10 $42.10

23.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$80.1 $80.1

26.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$107 $107

34.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,574 $1,574

60.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,281 $1,281

23.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,496 $2,496

89.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,136 $2,136

26.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,046 $3,046

37.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,307 $2,307

19.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,099 $4,099

20.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.64

2.56%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Van Wert, OH: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Van Wert, OH

$1.3K 49% 18.8% $297

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Van Wert, OH

$417 16% 6.7% $30

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Van Wert, OH

$337 12.9% 2.4% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Van Wert, OH

$316 12.1% 3.1% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Van Wert, OH

$126 4.8% 23.4% $38

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Van Wert, OH

$75 2.9% 19.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Van Wert, OH

$64 2.5% 23% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,574 in Van Wert, 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 20% higher in Chicago, IL. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $78 in Van Wert, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $417 – making Van Wert, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Van Wert, OH

🕒 Local time

04:40 4:40 AM

05:40 5:40 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

11,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Van Wert, OH 280 km

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,615 in Van Wert, OH – Van Wert, OH comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,923 in Van Wert, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Van Wert, OH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,574 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $78 in Van Wert, OH. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Van Wert, OH, where all-in costs run around $2,615, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Van Wert, OH it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Van Wert, 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 Van Wert, 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.