Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cincinnati, OH and Rapid City, SD

For one person, living costs are similar in Cincinnati, OH and in Rapid City, SD: $2,323 and $2,396 a month, rent and utilities included.

114

Cost of Living Index in Cincinnati, OH
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Cincinnati, OH Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Rapid City, SD
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Rapid City, SD Living Index

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Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,323

/mo nomad

Rapid City, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cincinnati, OH and in Rapid City, SD

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 Rapid City, SD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,323 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $2,396 in Rapid City, SD, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $2,323
Rapid City, SD $2,396

A couple spends around $3,448 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $3,381 in Rapid City, SD, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $3,448
Rapid City, SD $3,381

A family of three spends $4,573 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $4,366 in Rapid City, SD, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $4,573
Rapid City, SD $4,366

Cincinnati, OH is about 3% cheaper than Rapid City, SD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cincinnati, OH and Rapid City, SD sit above the global median – Cincinnati, OH by 72%, Rapid City, SD by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.17 $15.17

$17.25 $17.25

-12.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 $51.0

$63.5 $63.5

-19.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 $9.90

$11.03 $11.03

-10.24%

Cappuccino

$5.00 $5.00

$5.64 $5.64

-11.35%

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

$2.30 $2.30

$2.42 $2.42

-4.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.79 $1.79

-7.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.96 $3.96

36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.52 $7.52

$5.59 $5.59

34.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.08 $1.08

-13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.06 $3.06

9.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.94 $1.94

105.15%

Eggs

$4.22 $4.22

$4.44 $4.44

-4.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.72 $12.72

$12.98 $12.98

-2.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 $11.24

$7.82 $7.82

43.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 $15.99

$12.92 $12.92

23.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$3.54 $3.54

64.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.30 $1.30

21.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.68 $2.68

57.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.62 $3.62

29.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.94 $1.94

30.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.48 $2.48

31.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.17 $2.17

-6.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.90 $2.90

-34.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.55 $10.55

$9.72 $9.72

8.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 $15.26

$13.76 $13.76

10.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.77 $1.77

19.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$4.96 $4.96

-40.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.51 $1.51

79.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$30.46 $30.46

242.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 $3.70

$2.96 $2.96

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.26 $1.26

-3.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.26 $25.26

$24.76 $24.76

2.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$0.87 $0.87

26.44%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$35.2K $35.2K

1.05%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$32.7K $32.7K

-23.13%

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

$151 $151

$195 $195

-22.49%

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

$76.1 $76.1

$46.23 $46.23

64.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.6 $72.6

$62.8 $62.8

15.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.88 $35.88

$51.0 $51.0

-29.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.95 $13.95

$14.97 $14.97

-6.81%

Cinema Ticket

$15.10 $15.10

$11.77 $11.77

28.29%

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

$1,465 $1,465

$766 $766

91.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K $19.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.76 $45.76

$62.7 $62.7

-27.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.95 $44.95

$75.4 $75.4

-40.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 $86.0

$77.6 $77.6

10.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

-0.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$952 $952

59.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 $1,045

$1,200 $1,200

-12.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,272 $3,272

$1,742 $1,742

87.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 $1,821

$1,766 $1,766

3.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,403 $3,403

$2,624 $2,624

29.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,074 $2,074

$2,599 $2,599

-20.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,137 $4,137

$3,778 $3,778

9.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.44

2.33%

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

Last update for Cincinnati, OH: October 11, 2026

Last update for Rapid City, SD: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cincinnati, OH

$1K 45%

Rapid City, SD

$1.2K 50.1% 14.8% $155

Groceries & Markets

Cincinnati, OH

$389 16.8%

Rapid City, SD

$339 14.1% 13% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cincinnati, OH

$300 12.9%

Rapid City, SD

$304 12.7% 1.4% $4.2

Eating Out

Cincinnati, OH

$269 11.6%

Rapid City, SD

$287 12% 6.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Cincinnati, OH

$129 5.6%

Rapid City, SD

$147 6.1% 13.8% $18

Getting Around

Cincinnati, OH

$125 5.4%

Rapid City, SD

$46 1.9% 63.4% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Cincinnati, OH

$66 2.8%

Rapid City, SD

$75 3.1% 12.8% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,521 in Cincinnati, OH versus $952 in Rapid City, SD. 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 9% higher in Cincinnati, 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 $51.0 in Cincinnati, OH versus $64.0 in Rapid City, SD. Groceries tell a different story – $389 in Cincinnati, OH vs $339 in Rapid City, SD – so Rapid City, SD wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 Rapid City, SD

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

11:48 11:48 AM

2 h behind Cincinnati, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

298,800

74,703

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cincinnati, OH Rapid City, SD 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cincinnati, OH
Rapid City, SD

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 Rapid City, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,323 in Cincinnati, OH, $2,396 in Rapid City, SD – roughly 3% 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 $3,594 in Rapid City, SD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,323 in Cincinnati, OH and $2,396 in Rapid City, SD. That's a gap of about 3%.

Public transport costs about 243% less in Cincinnati, OH. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Cincinnati, OH, where all-in costs run around $2,323, than in Rapid City, SD at $2,396. In Cincinnati, OH it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rapid City, SD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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