Cost of Living: Lima, OH vs Chicago, IL

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,356/mo in Lima, OH versus $4,227/mo in Chicago, IL. In the model, rent is about 12.6% of gross in Lima, OH versus 20.28% in Chicago, IL, so Lima, OH tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Lima, OH
$4,356/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Chicago, IL
$4,227/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Lima, OH
12.6%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Chicago, IL
20.28%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Lima, OH and Chicago, IL.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Chicago, IL
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Lima, OH
  • Lower home prices: Lima, OH
  • Higher median household income: Chicago, IL

Cost of Living Index

Lima, OH: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Chicago, IL: 98.3 (U.S. = 100)

Chicago, IL has a lower cost-of-living index than Lima, OH, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Lima, OH: $822/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Chicago, IL: $1,323/mo

Median rent in Chicago, IL is $501/mo higher than in Lima, OH.

Median Home Price

Lima, OH: $95,900 · Chicago, IL: $147,800

Median home price in Chicago, IL is $51,900 higher than in Lima, OH.

Median Household Income

Lima, OH: $43,370 · Chicago, IL: $56,815

Chicago, IL has a higher median household income than Lima, OH by $13,445.

Lima, OH overview · Chicago, IL overview · Popular comparisons