Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Salem, OH: $2,394 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Salem, OH
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Salem, OH Living Index
152

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

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Salem, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,394

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salem, 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 Salem, OH and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,394 per month in Salem, OH vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Salem, OH $2,394
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,399 per month in Salem, OH vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Salem, OH $3,399
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,405 per month in Salem, OH vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Salem, OH $4,405
Chicago, IL $6,115

Salem, OH is about 24% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Salem, OH and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Salem, OH by 77%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.83 $13.83

$20.65 $20.65

-33.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.28 $49.28

$90.2 $90.2

-45.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.20 $10.20

$12.94 $12.94

-21.17%

Cappuccino

$3.08 $3.08

$5.60 $5.60

-45.00%

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

$2.13 $2.13

$2.64 $2.64

-19.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.27 $2.27

-30.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.02 $4.02

$6.98 $6.98

-42.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$8.83 $8.83

-55.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.27 $1.27

-30.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.80 $3.80

-10.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$5.30 $5.30

-23.77%

Eggs

$3.29 $3.29

$4.76 $4.76

-30.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 $11.24

$13.96 $13.96

-19.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 $9.94

$14.61 $14.61

-31.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.17 $16.17

$18.77 $18.77

-13.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$5.19 $5.19

-35.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.98 $1.98

-27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$3.93 $3.93

13.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$4.96 $4.96

-26.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.76 $2.76

-6.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.76 $2.76

-28.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.22 $2.22

18.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.98 $2.98

-24.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 $9.74

$14.02 $14.02

-30.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.32 $13.32

$15.28 $15.28

-12.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.58 $2.58

-24.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.50 $3.50

-9.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.47 $2.47

-19.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.34 $3.34

-23.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.43 $1.43

71.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.80 $39.80

$24.32 $24.32

63.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.26 $1.26

-19.05%

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

$31.3K $31.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-10.58%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.40%

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

$180 $180

$193 $193

-6.69%

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

$59.6 $59.6

$68.3 $68.3

-12.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 $64.7

$61.3 $61.3

5.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.61 $45.61

$54.1 $54.1

-15.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$12.08 $12.08

$17.74 $17.74

-31.91%

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

$495 $495

$1,652 $1,652

-70.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K $14.4K

$31.1K $31.1K

-53.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.74 $45.74

$66.1 $66.1

-30.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.12 $40.12

$51.2 $51.2

-21.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 $72.0

$100 $100

-28.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 $78.8

$141 $141

-44.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 $1,625

$2,446 $2,446

-33.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 $1,312

$1,678 $1,678

-21.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,540 $2,540

$4,717 $4,717

-46.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,113 $2,113

$2,795 $2,795

-24.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,739 $2,739

$4,105 $4,105

-33.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,382 $2,382

$2,650 $2,650

-10.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.81

-4.41%

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

Last update for Salem, OH: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salem, OH

$1.3K 54.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 27.9% $366

Groceries & Markets

Salem, OH

$358 15%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 25.6% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salem, OH

$304 12.7%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 6% $18

Eating Out

Salem, OH

$221 9.2%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 55.4% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Salem, OH

$107 4.5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 51.4% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Salem, OH

$70 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 28.4% $20

Getting Around

Salem, OH

$23 * 1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 318% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,625 in Salem, OH versus $2,446 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Salem, OH versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $449 – making Salem, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salem, OH

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

00:22 12:22 AM

1 h behind Salem, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

155,469

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Salem, OH Chicago, IL 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Salem, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,394 in Salem, OH, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,590 per month in Salem, OH and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salem, OH, 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 $49.00 in Salem, OH and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,394 in Salem, OH and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,394 in Salem, OH to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Salem, OH. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.