Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

105

Cost of Living Index in Rockford, IL
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Rockford, IL Living Index
113

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

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Rockford, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,166

/mo nomad

Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,343

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.72 $15.72

$15.05 $15.05

4.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$49.13 $49.13

49.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 $9.97

Cappuccino

$5.03 $5.03

$5.01 $5.01

0.40%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$2.30 $2.30

22.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.72 $1.72

15.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.59 $4.59

$5.46 $5.46

-15.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$7.34 $7.34

-6.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$0.87 $0.87

-5.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.35 $3.35

1.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.03 $4.03

31.51%

Eggs

$2.91 $2.91

$4.08 $4.08

-28.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 $10.07

$12.79 $12.79

-21.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.99 $13.99

$11.17 $11.17

25.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.79 $16.79

$16.12 $16.12

4.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$5.67 $5.67

-15.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.58 $1.58

-3.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$4.41 $4.41

-14.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$4.82 $4.82

6.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.62 $2.62

-6.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$3.31 $3.31

-21.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.11 $2.11

5.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.84 $1.84

0.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 $10.97

$9.97 $9.97

10.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.82 $15.82

$14.95 $14.95

5.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.16 $2.16

-7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.06 $3.06

-39.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.70 $2.70

-43.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.5 $55.5

$105 $105

-47.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.78 $3.78

-27.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.26 $1.26

25.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.70 $20.70

$24.69 $24.69

-16.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.08 $1.08

-3.70%

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

$33.5K $33.5K

$35.8K $35.8K

-6.35%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.63%

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

$192 $192

$151 $151

27.17%

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

$45.71 $45.71

$76.3 $76.3

-40.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.1 $71.1

$71.7 $71.7

-0.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 $41.82

$36.06 $36.06

15.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.44 $25.44

$13.98 $13.98

81.97%

Cinema Ticket

$14.03 $14.03

$15.23 $15.23

-7.88%

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

$520 $520

$1,443 $1,443

-63.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,074 $4,074

$19.6K $19.6K

-79.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.23 $45.23

$45.54 $45.54

-0.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.80 $35.80

$45.50 $45.50

-21.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 $93.1

$83.5 $83.5

11.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$109 $109

3.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 $1,293

$1,556 $1,556

-16.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 $925

$1,067 $1,067

-13.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 $2,298

$3,194 $3,194

-28.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 $2,040

$1,793 $1,793

13.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,476 $1,476

$3,497 $3,497

-57.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,421 $1,421

$2,138 $2,138

-33.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,398 $3,398

$4,149 $4,149

-18.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.59

-1.52%

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

Last update for Rockford, IL: October 18, 2026

Last update for Cincinnati, OH: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rockford, IL

$925 42.7%

Cincinnati, OH

$1.1K 45.5% 15.3% $142

Groceries & Markets

Rockford, IL

$389 17.9%

Cincinnati, OH

$389 16.6% 0% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rockford, IL

$309 14.3%

Cincinnati, OH

$299 12.8% 3.2% $9.8

Eating Out

Rockford, IL

$272 12.6%

Cincinnati, OH

$268 11.5% 1.3% $3.4

Clothing & Footwear

Rockford, IL

$129 6%

Cincinnati, OH

$128 5.4% 1.2% $1.5

Getting Around

Rockford, IL

$72 3.3%

Cincinnati, OH

$126 5.4% 73.9% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Rockford, IL

$70 3.2%

Cincinnati, OH

$67 2.8% 4.8% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,293 in Rockford, IL versus $1,556 in Cincinnati, OH. 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 $74.0 in Rockford, IL versus $49.00 in Cincinnati, OH. Groceries tell a different story – $389 in Rockford, IL vs $389 in Cincinnati, OH – so Rockford, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rockford, IL

🇺🇸 Cincinnati, OH

🕒 Local time

20:50 8:50 PM

21:50 9:50 PM

1 h ahead of Rockford, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,655

298,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Rockford, IL
Cincinnati, OH

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

Rockford, IL vs Cincinnati, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,249 per month in Rockford, IL and $3,515 in Cincinnati, OH. 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 $2,166 in Rockford, IL and $2,343 in Cincinnati, OH. 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.