Cost of living in Cincinnati research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Cincinnati is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Ohio, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Cincinnati is 94, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Cincinnati is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Cincinnati ranks as the #158 cheapest in Ohio out of 289.
Cincinnati ranks as the #1,806 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Cincinnati is $246,428.
The median income in Cincinnati is $51,707.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Cincinnati has an overall cost of living index of 94, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Ohio, Cincinnati has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Ohio's index of 93.
The standard of living in Cincinnati ranks as #158 most affordable out of the 289 places we measured in Ohio. By definition, that implies Cincinnati ranks as the #131 most expensive place in the Buckeye State.
For more reading on life in Cincinnati, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Cincinnati. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Cincinnati is 102.
The Groceries index in Cincinnati is 101.
The Health index in Cincinnati is 102.
The Housing index in Cincinnati is 82.
The Transportation index in Cincinnati is 103.
The Utilities index in Cincinnati is 98.
| Living Expense | Cincinnati | Ohio | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 94 | 93 | 100 | |
| Services | 102 | 101 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 101 | 103 | 100 | |
| Health | 102 | 97 | 100 | |
| Housing | 82 | 74 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 103 | 102 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 98 | 100 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Ohio, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Cincinnati is $246,428.
The Median Rent in Cincinnati is $953.
The Median Income in Cincinnati is $51,707.
The Home Value To Income in Cincinnati is 4.8x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Cincinnati is 0.22x.
| Statistic | Cincinnati | Ohio | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $246,428 | $240,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $953 | $988 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $51,707 | $69,680 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 4.8x | 3.4x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.22x | 0.17x | 0.21x |
| Item | Cincinnati | Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.27 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $14.35 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $17.56 | $18 |
| Haircut | $25.13 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $37.93 | $45.56 |
| Item | Cincinnati | Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.91 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.72 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.8 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $5.05 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $11.92 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.63 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.6 | $3.7 |
| Item | Cincinnati | Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $105.42 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $159.4 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $106.67 | $113.29 |
| Item | Cincinnati | Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.27 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $73.09 | $59.92 |
| Item | Cincinnati | Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $197.1 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $186.48 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Cincinnati. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Mason, OH has a cost of living index of 121, 1.3x Cincinnati.
Norwood, OH has a cost of living index of 93, 1.0x Cincinnati.
Fort Thomas, KY has a cost of living index of 104, 1.1x Cincinnati.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Cincinnati |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mason, OH | 35,148 | 121 | 1.3x |
| Norwood, OH | 19,023 | 93 | 1.0x |
| Fort Thomas, KY | 17,242 | 104 | 1.1x |
| Newport, KY | 14,039 | 96 | 1.0x |
| Monfort Heights, OH | 12,203 | 97 | 1.0x |
| Mack, OH | 11,444 | 109 | 1.2x |
| Forestville, OH | 11,213 | 107 | 1.1x |
| Montgomery, OH | 10,816 | 128 | 1.4x |
| Madeira, OH | 9,454 | 118 | 1.3x |
| Wyoming, OH | 8,712 | 121 | 1.3x |