Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cincinnati, OH and Rockford, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Rockford, IL: $2,166 a month against $2,343 in Cincinnati, OH, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Cincinnati, OH
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Cincinnati, OH Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Rockford, IL
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Rockford, IL Living Index

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Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,343

/mo nomad

Rockford, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,166

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cincinnati, OH and in Rockford, IL

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 Rockford, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,343 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $2,166 in Rockford, IL, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $2,343
Rockford, IL $2,166

A couple spends around $3,438 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $3,480 in Rockford, IL, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $3,438
Rockford, IL $3,480

A family of three spends $4,533 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $4,794 in Rockford, IL, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $4,533
Rockford, IL $4,794

Cincinnati, OH costs about 8% more than Rockford, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cincinnati, OH and Rockford, IL sit above the global median – Cincinnati, OH by 73%, Rockford, IL by 60%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.05 $15.05

$15.72 $15.72

-4.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.13 $49.13

$73.6 $73.6

-33.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 $9.97

Cappuccino

$5.01 $5.01

$5.03 $5.03

-0.40%

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

$2.30 $2.30

$2.82 $2.82

-18.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.99 $1.99

-13.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 $5.46

$4.59 $4.59

18.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 $7.34

$6.83 $6.83

7.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.82 $0.82

6.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.40 $3.40

-1.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$5.30 $5.30

-23.96%

Eggs

$4.08 $4.08

$2.91 $2.91

40.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.79 $12.79

$10.07 $10.07

27.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.17 $11.17

$13.99 $13.99

-20.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.12 $16.12

$16.79 $16.79

-3.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$4.78 $4.78

18.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.53 $1.53

3.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.79 $3.79

16.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$5.15 $5.15

-6.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.45 $2.45

6.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.59 $2.59

27.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.23 $2.23

-5.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.85 $1.85

-0.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.97 $10.97

-9.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$15.82 $15.82

-5.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.99 $1.99

8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.86 $1.86

64.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.52 $1.52

77.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 $105

$55.5 $55.5

88.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.75 $2.75

37.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.58 $1.58

-20.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.69 $24.69

$20.70 $20.70

19.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.04 $1.04

3.85%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$33.5K $33.5K

6.78%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.2K $26.2K

0.63%

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

$151 $151

$192 $192

-21.37%

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

$76.3 $76.3

$45.71 $45.71

67.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.7 $71.7

$71.1 $71.1

0.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.06 $36.06

$41.82 $41.82

-13.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.98 $13.98

$25.44 $25.44

-45.05%

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 $15.23

$14.03 $14.03

8.55%

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

$1,443 $1,443

$520 $520

177.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$4,074 $4,074

380.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.54 $45.54

$45.23 $45.23

0.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 $45.50

$35.80 $35.80

27.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 $83.5

$93.1 $93.1

-10.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$113 $113

-3.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 $1,556

$1,293 $1,293

20.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 $1,067

$925 $925

15.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,194 $3,194

$2,298 $2,298

38.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 $1,793

$2,040 $2,040

-12.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,497 $3,497

$1,476 $1,476

136.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,138 $2,138

$1,421 $1,421

50.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,149 $4,149

$3,398 $3,398

22.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.49

1.54%

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

Last update for Cincinnati, OH: October 18, 2026

Last update for Rockford, IL: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cincinnati, OH

$1.1K 45.5%

Rockford, IL

$925 42.7% 13.3% $142

Groceries & Markets

Cincinnati, OH

$389 16.6%

Rockford, IL

$389 17.9% 0% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cincinnati, OH

$299 12.8%

Rockford, IL

$309 14.3% 3.3% $9.8

Eating Out

Cincinnati, OH

$268 11.5%

Rockford, IL

$272 12.6% 1.3% $3.4

Clothing & Footwear

Cincinnati, OH

$128 5.4%

Rockford, IL

$129 6% 1.2% $1.5

Getting Around

Cincinnati, OH

$126 5.4%

Rockford, IL

$72 3.3% 42.5% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Cincinnati, OH

$67 2.8%

Rockford, IL

$70 3.2% 5% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,556 in Cincinnati, OH versus $1,293 in Rockford, IL. 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 22% 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 $49.00 in Cincinnati, OH versus $74.0 in Rockford, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $389 – making Cincinnati, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 Rockford, IL

🕒 Local time

22:34 10:34 PM

21:34 9:34 PM

1 h behind Cincinnati, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

298,800

148,655

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Cincinnati, OH Rockford, IL 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cincinnati, OH
Rockford, IL

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 Rockford, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,343 in Cincinnati, OH, $2,166 in Rockford, IL – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,515 per month in Cincinnati, OH and $3,249 in Rockford, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rockford, IL, 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 $2,343 in Cincinnati, OH and $2,166 in Rockford, IL. That's a gap of about 8%.

Public transport costs about 89% less in Rockford, IL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Rockford, IL, where all-in costs run around $2,166, than in Cincinnati, OH at $2,343. In Rockford, IL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cincinnati, OH it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rockford, IL – 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 Rockford, IL. 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.