Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth, OH: $1,880 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Portsmouth, OH
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Portsmouth, OH Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Portsmouth, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,880

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Portsmouth, OH and in Chicago, IL

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

A single person spends $1,880 per month in Portsmouth, OH vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Portsmouth, OH $1,880
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $2,622 per month in Portsmouth, OH vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Portsmouth, OH $2,622
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $3,364 per month in Portsmouth, OH vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Portsmouth, OH $3,364
Chicago, IL $5,999

Portsmouth, OH is about 38% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Portsmouth, OH and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Portsmouth, OH by 38%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.26 $14.26

$20.71 $20.71

-31.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.14 $40.14

$89.2 $89.2

-55.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 $7.94

$13.19 $13.19

-39.80%

Cappuccino

$3.99 $3.99

$5.66 $5.66

-29.51%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$2.64 $2.64

-17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.28 $2.28

-28.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.14 $10.14

$6.87 $6.87

47.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.17 $12.17

$8.84 $8.84

37.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.25 $1.25

-36.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.72 $3.72

-27.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$5.39 $5.39

-30.24%

Eggs

$2.20 $2.20

$4.74 $4.74

-53.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.79 $10.79

$13.84 $13.84

-22.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.53 $24.53

$14.40 $14.40

70.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.45 $9.45

$18.38 $18.38

-48.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$5.22 $5.22

11.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.98 $1.98

-2.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.21 $7.21

$4.06 $4.06

77.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.97 $4.97

6.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.67 $2.67

-0.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.66 $2.66

-33.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.24 $2.24

-32.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.13 $3.13

-12.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$13.82 $13.82

-29.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.76 $19.76

$14.88 $14.88

32.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.54 $2.54

-29.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.51 $3.51

-2.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.43 $2.43

-16.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.3 $68.3

$73.5 $73.5

-7.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.18 $3.18

-3.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.39 $1.39

25.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.04 $30.04

$25.03 $25.03

20.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.20 $1.20

-38.33%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.68%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

-2.72%

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

$205 $205

$194 $194

5.61%

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

$50.6 $50.6

$69.5 $69.5

-27.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 $57.7

$61.6 $61.6

-6.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.15 $41.15

$47.90 $47.90

-14.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 $14.19

$17.81 $17.81

-20.33%

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

$530 $530

$1,794 $1,794

-70.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,488 $6,488

$31.9K $31.9K

-79.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.43 $30.43

$67.0 $67.0

-54.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.84 $24.84

$52.1 $52.1

-52.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.6 $57.6

$102 $102

-43.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$144 $144

-15.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 $572

$2,526 $2,526

-77.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$583 $583

$1,578 $1,578

-63.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 $766

$4,738 $4,738

-83.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 $695

$2,693 $2,693

-74.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,766 $2,766

$4,190 $4,190

-33.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,410 $2,410

$2,768 $2,768

-12.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,591 $1,591

$4,931 $4,931

-67.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

6.81

-1.03%

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

Last update for Portsmouth, OH: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portsmouth, OH

$583 31%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 171% $995

Groceries & Markets

Portsmouth, OH

$444 23.6%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 0.8% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portsmouth, OH

$314 16.7%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 3.8% $12

Eating Out

Portsmouth, OH

$276 14.7%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 24.9% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Portsmouth, OH

$105 5.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 55.8% $59

Getting Around

Portsmouth, OH

$88 4.7%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 5.9% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Portsmouth, OH

$70 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 20.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $572 in Portsmouth, OH versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chicago, IL are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Portsmouth, OH versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $444 vs $447 – making Portsmouth, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Portsmouth, OH

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

03:13 3:13 AM

02:13 2:13 AM

1 h behind Portsmouth, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,535

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Portsmouth, OH Chicago, IL 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Portsmouth, OH
Chicago, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,880 in Portsmouth, OH, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Portsmouth, OH comes out roughly 38% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,820 per month in Portsmouth, OH and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portsmouth, OH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $572 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Portsmouth, OH and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Portsmouth, OH. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Portsmouth, OH, where all-in costs run around $1,880, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Portsmouth, OH it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Portsmouth, 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 Portsmouth, OH. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.