Columbus, OH

Cost of Living in Columbus, OH (2026): Rent, Utilities & Take-Home

$3,051/mo in Columbus. $2,644 left each month. Prices 7% below the US average.

Compare vs Chicago Rank metros from ColumbusHow we figure this

Monthly costs

Take-home $5,695/mo.

Taxes$1,888
Rent$1,176
Other living costs$1,875
Left over$2,644

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $90,995
Federal income tax: −$11,633
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,961
State income tax (OH): −$1,786
City / county wage tax: −$2,275
Take-home pay: $68,340
Effective tax rate: 24.9%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,176
Groceries: $372
Getting around: $526
Healthcare: $419
Utilities and internet: $233
Everything else: $326
Total spending: $3,051

Left over each month

$7,583 gross, minus $1,888 in tax and $3,051 in living costs.

$2,644

Average electric bill in Ohio

About $152 a month for a household using 900 kWh. That is the EIA residential price for Ohio in 2025, 16.9¢ per kWh. It is a state average, not a Columbus utility bill, and the utilities line in the monthly costs above already includes a modelled power cost.

Moving from Columbus

Columbus → Cincinnati · $81 more

Cost of Living in Columbus, OH (2026): Rent, Utilities & Take-Home

Monthly costs

Pay and tax, per year

Living costs, per month

Average electric bill in Ohio

Moving from Columbus

Take-home by job in Columbus

Other Ohio metros

Compare Columbus