🇺🇸 OH, United States · 2026

Cost of Living in Columbus

9.4% below the United States average

Ranked #119 of 577 cities · More expensive than 79.4% of cities worldwide

-9.4%
Cost of Living
-23.7%
Rent
-1.1%
Groceries
-5.1%
Purchasing Power

Compared to United States average · See United States ranking →

Rent Prices in Columbus

Apartment City Centre Outside Centre You Save
1-Bedroom USD 1,544/mo USD 1,103/mo 29%
3-Bedroom USD 2,354/mo USD 1,866/mo 21%
Numbeo · 2026-10-02

Multi-Source Comparison

★★★ High Confidence

Columbus has a cost of living index of 52.3 (New York = 100, rent included), the average of 3 of 3 data sources.

52.3
Index
3
Sources
1.1
Gap between sources

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo
53.0
Expatistan
52.0
LivingCost
51.9
ShouldIMove price index
No data

ShouldIMove price index: our own basket of real item prices plus rent.

Cost Indices

Cost of Living
-9.4% Affordable
Rent
-23.7% Very affordable
Groceries
-1.1% Average
Restaurants
-4.5% Average
Purchasing Power
-5.1% Average

Living in Columbus: What to Expect

Columbus is expensive by global standards (ranked #119 of 577 cities). It is 9.4% cheaper than the United States average, based on 82 cities.

Groceries are average and dining out is average. The best value is rent and the priciest is groceries.

Local purchasing power is strong: residents can afford more goods and services than in most cities.

How Does Columbus Compare?

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