Hamilton County · Ohio
Cost of living in Cincinnati, OH
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Living in Cincinnati, OH costs 4.6% below the national average — an all-items price level of 95.4. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $95,370 here.
- All items
- 95.4US average = 100
- Housing
- 87.612.4% below the national average
- Goods
- 93.86.2% below the national average
- Other services
- 99.01.0% below the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 93.8 | -6.2% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 87.6 | -12.4% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 91.0 | -9.0% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 99.0 | -1.0% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
What your salary is worth in Cincinnati, OH
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (95.4 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $53,706
- Needed to match US average
- $48,848
- Monthly difference
- $-198
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
The median household in Cincinnati earns $51,219. Deflated by the local price level, that is $53,706 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 95.4.
More on Cincinnati
Same city, other datasets.
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.