Cleveland, OH Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Cleveland, OH Summary

Cost of living in Cleveland 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 Cleveland 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 Cleveland is 81, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Cleveland is 0.8x lower than the national average.

  • Cleveland ranks as the #6 cheapest in Ohio out of 289.

  • Cleveland ranks as the #158 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Cleveland is $112,347.

  • The median income in Cleveland is $39,187.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
81
Cleveland's Overall Cost Of Living
0.8x
Lower Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Cleveland, OH?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Cleveland has an overall cost of living index of 81, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.

Compared to Ohio, Cleveland has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Ohio's index of 93.

The standard of living in Cleveland ranks as #6 most affordable out of the 289 places we measured in Ohio. By definition, that implies Cleveland ranks as the #283 most expensive place in the Buckeye State.

For more reading on life in Cleveland, check out:

6 out of 289
In Ohio
158 out of 6,489
In America

Cleveland Cost Of Living Vs. Ohio

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Cleveland. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Cleveland is 91.

  • The Groceries index in Cleveland is 99.

  • The Health index in Cleveland is 96.

  • The Housing index in Cleveland is 53.

  • The Transportation index in Cleveland is 99.

  • The Utilities index in Cleveland is 105.

Living Expense Cleveland Ohio National Average
Overall 81 93 100
Services 91 101 100
Groceries 99 103 100
Health 96 97 100
Housing 53 74 100
Transportation 99 102 100
Utilities 105 100 100
For more reading on cost of living around Ohio, check out:
Cleveland Cost of Living Vs. OH

Cleveland, OH Housing Cost Breakdown

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 Cleveland is $112,347.

  • The Median Rent in Cleveland is $894.

  • The Median Income in Cleveland is $39,187.

  • The Home Value To Income in Cleveland is 2.9x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Cleveland is 0.27x.

Statistic Cleveland Ohio United States
Median Home Value $112,347 $240,287 $303,400
Median Rent $894 $988 $1,348
Median Income $39,187 $69,680 $78,538
Home Value To Income 2.9x 3.4x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.27x 0.17x 0.21x
$112,347
Median Home Value
$894
Median Rent
$39,187
Median Income

Cleveland, OH Costs By Category

Detailed Cleveland Services Costs Vs. Ohio

Item Cleveland Ohio
Shampoo $1.45 $1.28
Movie $11.6 $12.13
Bowling $18.27 $18
Haircut $23.67 $24.26
Beauty Salon $35.31 $45.56

Detailed Cleveland Groceries Costs Vs. Ohio

Item Cleveland Ohio
Ground Beef $5.46 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.39 $1.57
Milk $4.57 $4.67
Potatoes $5.38 $4.93
Pizza $9.98 $12.09
Beer $10.51 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.68 $3.7

Detailed Cleveland Health Costs Vs. Ohio

Item Cleveland Ohio
Optometrist $103.58 $125.68
Doctor $119.67 $135.78
Dentist $109.73 $113.29

Detailed Cleveland Transportation Costs Vs. Ohio

Item Cleveland Ohio
Gasoline $3.41 $3.46
Tire Balancing $57.76 $59.92

Detailed Cleveland Utilities Costs Vs. Ohio

Item Cleveland Ohio
All Electricity $205.88 $193.99
Phone $186.78 $192.25

Cleveland SnackAbility

3
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
3/10
Housing
4
Affordability
6
Diversity
9.5
Safety
3
Amenities
10
Education
5
Commute
8

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Cleveland

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Cleveland. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Lakewood, OH has a cost of living index of 94, 1.2x Cleveland.

  • Strongsville, OH has a cost of living index of 100, 1.2x Cleveland.

  • Cleveland Heights, OH has a cost of living index of 92, 1.1x Cleveland.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Cleveland
Lakewood, OH 50,229 94 1.2x
Strongsville, OH 46,022 100 1.2x
Cleveland Heights, OH 44,694 92 1.1x
Westlake, OH 34,036 110 1.4x
North Olmsted, OH 32,031 96 1.2x
Garfield Heights, OH 29,369 86 1.1x
Shaker Heights, OH 29,004 106 1.3x
Solon, OH 23,970 113 1.4x
Rocky River, OH 21,490 106 1.3x
Broadview Heights, OH 19,768 104 1.3x

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