Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cincinnati, OH and Aiken, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Cincinnati, OH: $2,284 a month against $2,436 in Aiken, SC, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Aiken, SC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

109

Cost of Living Index in Cincinnati, OH
Learn more

Cincinnati, OH Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Aiken, SC
Learn more

Aiken, SC Living Index

Jump to prices

Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,284

/mo nomad

Aiken, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cincinnati, OH and in Aiken, SC

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cincinnati, OH and in Aiken, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,284 in Cincinnati, OH versus $2,436 in Aiken, SC.

Cincinnati, OH $2,284
Aiken, SC $2,436

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Cincinnati, OH versus $3,384 in Aiken, SC.

Cincinnati, OH $3,409
Aiken, SC $3,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,534 in Cincinnati, OH versus $4,332 in Aiken, SC.

Cincinnati, OH $4,534
Aiken, SC $4,332

Living in Cincinnati, OH costs roughly 6% less than in Aiken, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cincinnati, OH 68% above, Aiken, SC 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.04 $15.04

$15.28 $15.28

-1.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 $50.3

$58.8 $58.8

-14.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$10.80 $10.80

-7.13%

Cappuccino

$5.07 $5.07

$3.69 $3.69

37.40%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$2.18 $2.18

5.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.97 $1.97

-15.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 $5.59

$5.84 $5.84

-4.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.60 $7.60

$8.53 $8.53

-10.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.02 $1.02

-13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.75 $2.75

17.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$2.31 $2.31

79.22%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$3.59 $3.59

13.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 $13.06

$14.15 $14.15

-7.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$6.28 $6.28

76.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.30 $16.30

$18.71 $18.71

-12.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$8.72 $8.72

-34.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.29 $2.29

-27.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.93 $2.93

49.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.87 $3.87

23.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.95 $1.95

31.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.74 $2.74

14.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.87 $1.87

8.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.05 $2.05

-6.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.75 $9.75

$7.16 $7.16

36.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$13.05 $13.05

14.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.01 $2.01

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.98 $2.98

-0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 $2.72

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 $107

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 $3.82

$4.90 $4.90

-22.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 $1.25

$5.02 $5.02

-75.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.56 $24.56

$51.0 $51.0

-51.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.73 $0.73

42.47%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$28.3K $28.3K

26.68%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.43%

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

$151 $151

$222 $222

-31.73%

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

$76.8 $76.8

$66.2 $66.2

16.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$84.2 $84.2

-15.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 $34.11

$56.6 $56.6

-39.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.79 $13.79

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 $15.29

$14.99 $14.99

2.00%

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

$1,341 $1,341

$942 $942

42.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

$18.0K $18.0K

6.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.25 $45.25

$64.7 $64.7

-30.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.81 $44.81

$44.36 $44.36

1.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 $83.2

$114 $114

-27.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$64.6 $64.6

69.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$1,337 $1,337

12.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$1,191 $1,191

-15.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,024 $3,024

$1,759 $1,759

71.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$1,706 $1,706

4.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,610 $3,610

$1,694 $1,694

113.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,016 $2,016

$1,359 $1,359

48.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,191 $4,191

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.57

0.30%

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

Last update for Cincinnati, OH: October 26, 2026

Last update for Aiken, SC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cincinnati, OH

$1K 44%

Aiken, SC

$1.2K 48.9% 18.4% $185

Groceries & Markets

Cincinnati, OH

$389 17%

Aiken, SC

$365 15% 6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cincinnati, OH

$300 13.1%

Aiken, SC

$372 15.3% 24.2% $72

Eating Out

Cincinnati, OH

$270 11.8%

Aiken, SC

$262 10.7% 3.2% $8.5

Getting Around

Cincinnati, OH

$128 5.6%

Aiken, SC

$30 * 1.2% 76.5% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Cincinnati, OH

$127 5.6%

Aiken, SC

$130 5.3% 1.8% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Cincinnati, OH

$65 2.8%

Aiken, SC

$87 3.6% 33.8% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,505 in Cincinnati, OH and $1,337 in Aiken, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50 in Cincinnati, OH vs $59 in Aiken, SC. Groceries flip the comparison at $389 vs $365, with Aiken, SC cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 Aiken, SC

🕒 Local time

16:34 4:34 PM

Same time as Cincinnati, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

298,800

28,829

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cincinnati, OH Aiken, SC 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cincinnati, OH
Aiken, SC

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

Cincinnati, OH vs Aiken, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cincinnati, OH wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Aiken, SC. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cincinnati, OH the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,426 in Cincinnati, OH and $3,654 in Aiken, SC to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,505 in Cincinnati, OH versus $1,337 in Aiken, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,341 in Cincinnati, OH versus $942 in Aiken, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cincinnati, OH – a meal for two runs $50 versus $59 in Aiken, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Cincinnati, OH gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.