Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cincinnati, OH and Lawrence, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Lawrence, KS: $2,210 a month against $2,323 in Cincinnati, OH, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Cincinnati, OH despite lower rent and utilities.

114

Cost of Living Index in Cincinnati, OH
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Cincinnati, OH Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lawrence, KS
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Lawrence, KS Living Index

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Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,323

/mo nomad

Lawrence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cincinnati, OH and in Lawrence, KS

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 Lawrence, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,323 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $2,210 in Lawrence, KS, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $2,323
Lawrence, KS $2,210

A couple spends around $3,448 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $3,326 in Lawrence, KS, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $3,448
Lawrence, KS $3,326

A family of three spends $4,573 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $4,443 in Lawrence, KS, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $4,573
Lawrence, KS $4,443

Cincinnati, OH costs about 5% more than Lawrence, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cincinnati, OH and Lawrence, KS sit above the global median – Cincinnati, OH by 72%, Lawrence, KS by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.17 $15.17

$14.74 $14.74

2.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 $51.0

$75.6 $75.6

-32.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 $9.90

$10.91 $10.91

-9.26%

Cappuccino

$5.00 $5.00

$5.10 $5.10

-1.96%

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

$2.30 $2.30

$2.62 $2.62

-12.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.92 $1.92

-14.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.93 $5.93

-9.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 $7.52

$7.67 $7.67

-1.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.89 $0.89

4.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.06 $3.06

9.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$4.49 $4.49

-11.36%

Eggs

$4.22 $4.22

$4.03 $4.03

4.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.72 $12.72

$11.19 $11.19

13.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 $11.24

$12.43 $12.43

-9.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 $15.99

$16.76 $16.76

-4.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$5.38 $5.38

8.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.12 $2.12

-25.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$4.71 $4.71

-10.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$4.03 $4.03

16.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.88 $1.88

35.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.85 $2.85

14.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.61 $1.61

25.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.92 $2.92

-34.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.55 $10.55

$6.87 $6.87

53.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 $15.26

$14.18 $14.18

7.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.74 $1.74

21.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.65 $1.65

78.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 $2.71

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 $3.70

$2.89 $2.89

28.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.33 $1.33

-8.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.26 $25.26

$24.99 $24.99

1.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$0.92 $0.92

19.57%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$22.2K $22.2K

60.14%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$24.6K $24.6K

2.13%

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

$151 $151

$277 $277

-45.43%

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

$76.1 $76.1

$62.6 $62.6

21.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.6 $72.6

$64.2 $64.2

12.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.88 $35.88

$44.49 $44.49

-19.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.95 $13.95

$11.86 $11.86

17.62%

Cinema Ticket

$15.10 $15.10

$11.90 $11.90

26.89%

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

$1,465 $1,465

$961 $961

52.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K $19.4K

$19.2K $19.2K

1.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.76 $45.76

$51.4 $51.4

-11.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.95 $44.95

$39.77 $39.77

13.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 $86.0

$79.2 $79.2

8.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$100 $100

9.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$1,186 $1,186

28.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 $1,045

$940 $940

11.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,272 $3,272

$1,881 $1,881

73.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 $1,821

$1,714 $1,714

6.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,403 $3,403

$2,409 $2,409

41.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,074 $2,074

$2,084 $2,084

-0.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,137 $4,137

$3,767 $3,767

9.83%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Lawrence, KS: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cincinnati, OH

$1K 45%

Lawrence, KS

$940 42.5% 10% $105

Groceries & Markets

Cincinnati, OH

$389 16.8%

Lawrence, KS

$391 17.7% 0.6% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cincinnati, OH

$300 12.9%

Lawrence, KS

$404 18.3% 34.7% $104

Eating Out

Cincinnati, OH

$269 11.6%

Lawrence, KS

$275 12.4% 2.3% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

Cincinnati, OH

$129 5.6%

Lawrence, KS

$122 5.5% 5.5% $7.1

Getting Around

Cincinnati, OH

$125 5.4%

Lawrence, KS

$9.6 * 0.4% 92.4% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Cincinnati, OH

$66 2.8%

Lawrence, KS

$68 3.1% 3.4% $2.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,521 in Cincinnati, OH versus $1,186 in Lawrence, KS. 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 10% higher in Cincinnati, OH, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Cincinnati, OH versus $76.0 in Lawrence, KS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $391 – making Cincinnati, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 Lawrence, KS

🕒 Local time

09:08 9:08 AM

08:08 8:08 AM

1 h behind Cincinnati, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

298,800

95,358

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cincinnati, OH Lawrence, KS 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cincinnati, OH
Lawrence, KS

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 Lawrence, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,323 in Cincinnati, OH, $2,210 in Lawrence, KS – roughly 5% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,484 per month in Cincinnati, OH and $3,315 in Lawrence, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lawrence, KS, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Cincinnati, OH and $76.0 in Lawrence, KS. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Cincinnati, OH – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lawrence, KS, where all-in costs run around $2,210, than in Cincinnati, OH at $2,323. In Lawrence, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cincinnati, OH it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lawrence, KS – 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 Lawrence, KS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cincinnati, OH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.