Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Warren, OH: $1,892 a month against $3,078 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 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 Warren, OH
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Warren, OH Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,078

/mo nomad

Warren, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,892

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,078 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,892 in Warren, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,078
Warren, OH $1,892

A couple spends around $4,540 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,752 in Warren, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,540
Warren, OH $2,752

A family of three spends $6,002 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,611 in Warren, OH, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,002
Warren, OH $3,611

Chicago, IL costs about 63% more than Warren, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Warren, OH sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 130%, Warren, OH by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.76 $20.76

$17.82 $17.82

16.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 $88.3

$49.51 $49.51

78.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.21 $13.21

$8.30 $8.30

59.16%

Cappuccino

$5.62 $5.62

$5.03 $5.03

11.73%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$3.08 $3.08

-14.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.95 $1.95

16.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.21 $7.21

$3.70 $3.70

94.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 $9.19

$4.94 $4.94

86.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.87 $0.87

44.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.82 $1.82

105.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.44 $4.44

19.14%

Eggs

$4.73 $4.73

$3.87 $3.87

22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.37 $8.37

65.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$11.53 $11.53

21.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 $17.87

$8.79 $8.79

103.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.42 $3.42

52.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.08 $1.08

82.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.56 $4.56

-14.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.58 $4.58

4.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.36 $2.36

14.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.76 $2.76

-2.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.41 $2.41

-11.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.47 $1.47

109.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.74 $13.74

$10.26 $10.26

33.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.78 $14.78

$7.03 $7.03

110.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.94 $1.94

35.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.24 $2.24

55.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.02 $2.02

23.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.0 $74.0

$60.2 $60.2

22.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.02 $3.02

9.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.53 $1.53

9.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.34 $24.34

$24.40 $24.40

-0.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.80 $0.80

58.75%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$33.5K $33.5K

9.60%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.9K $25.9K

0.40%

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

$195 $195

$179 $179

8.69%

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

$70.6 $70.6

$60.6 $60.6

16.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 $60.2

$70.0 $70.0

-14.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$17.19 $17.19

251.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.66 $42.66

$19.87 $19.87

114.70%

Cinema Ticket

$18.22 $18.22

$11.08 $11.08

64.44%

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

$1,822 $1,822

$1,118 $1,118

62.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.5K $41.5K

$23.8K $23.8K

74.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 $66.9

$39.27 $39.27

70.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$40.72 $40.72

26.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$90.8 $90.8

15.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$119 $119

19.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$764 $764

231.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 $1,606

$755 $755

112.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,745 $4,745

$1,269 $1,269

274.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,662 $2,662

$1,185 $1,185

124.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,257 $4,257

$1,270 $1,270

235.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,707 $2,707

$1,120 $1,120

141.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,705 $4,705

$5,419 $5,419

-13.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.49

4.47%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 10, 2026

Last update for Warren, OH: November 8, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.2%

Warren, OH

$755 39.9% 53% $851

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$441 14.3%

Warren, OH

$302 16% 31.5% $139

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$347 11.3%

Warren, OH

$276 14.6% 20.4% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.6%

Warren, OH

$310 16.4% 4.9% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$165 5.4%

Warren, OH

$130 6.9% 20.7% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Warren, OH

$39 2.1% 59.3% $57

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$96 3.1%

Warren, OH

$79 4.2% 17.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $764 in Warren, 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 15% higher in Warren, 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 $88 in Chicago, IL versus $50 in Warren, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $441 vs $302 – making Warren, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Warren, OH

🕒 Local time

03:26 3:26 AM

04:26 4:26 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

134,188

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Warren, OH 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,078 in Chicago, IL, $1,892 in Warren, OH – Warren, OH comes out roughly 39% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,616 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,839 in Warren, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Warren, OH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $764 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88 in Chicago, IL and $50 in Warren, OH. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Warren, OH, where all-in costs run around $1,892, than in Chicago, IL at $3,078. In Warren, OH it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Warren, OH is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 39% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.