Overall
Ohio feels cheaper overall
Ohio has the lower cost-of-living index, beating Illinois by 4.2 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
Illinois vs Ohio: Cost of Living
Ohio is cheaper overall by 4.2 cost-of-living points, but Ohio has lower median home values.
Illinois
IL • Midwest
95.2
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Ohio
OH • Midwest
91.0
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Visual Comparison
Illinois
95.2
Ohio
91.0
Difference: 4.2 points — Ohio leads.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 1.3x more for a home
Ohio has the lower median home value, while buying in Illinois costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Ohio puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Ohio than in Illinois, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
Ohio keeps more income after state tax
Ohio has the lower top state income tax rate, which softens the total cost picture even when prices are close.
View detailed comparisonCost Stack
Illinois
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
95.2
Regional price parity
97.6
Regular gas price
$4.294/gal
Electricity price
16.36 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,227/mo
Median home value
$247,500
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
4.95%
State sales tax
6.25%
Property tax
2.01%
Income
Median household income
$78,433
Income after median rent
$5,309
Minimum wage
$15.00/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Restrictive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Legal
Ohio
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
91.0
Regional price parity
91.0
Regular gas price
$3.751/gal
Electricity price
17.59 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,038/mo
Median home value
$196,200
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
3.75%
State sales tax
5.75%
Property tax
1.31%
Income
Median household income
$66,990
Income after median rent
$4,544
Minimum wage
$11.00/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
Control State
Marijuana status
Legal
What Stands Out
- Ohio has lower median home values.
- Ohio has the lower overall cost index.
- Illinois has the higher median household income.
- Ohio looks more attainable on home value to income ratio.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
Illinois vs Ohio: Cost of Living in context
Ohio has a cost of living of 91.0, compared with 95.2 in Illinois. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Illinois
95.2
Ohio
91.0
Difference
4.2 points
People Also Ask
Illinois vs Ohio Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is Illinois's cost of living?
Illinois's cost of living is 95.2.
Q What is Ohio's cost of living?
Ohio's cost of living is 91.0.
Q Which state has a lower cost of living — Illinois or Ohio?
Ohio is cheaper overall by 4.2 cost-of-living points, but Ohio has lower median home values.
More Comparisons: Illinois vs Ohio
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.