| Index | Columbus | Illinois | National |
| Cost of living | 84 | 98 | 100 |
| Goods & Services | 92 | 98 | 100 |
| Groceries | 95 | 100 | 100 |
| Health care | 103 | 102 | 100 |
| Housing | 59 | 95 | 100 |
| Transportation | 100 | 102 | 100 |
| Utilities | 95 | 98 | 100 |
Why stop at city-to-city? With Local Insights, you can compare neighborhoods, zip codes, or even exact addresses. Access 300+ hyperlocal data points—from schools and crime to housing and amenities—to see which area is the better fit.
| Cost of living index | |
| Goods & Services index | |
| Groceries index | |
| Health care index | |
| Housing index | |
| Transportation index | |
| Utilities index |
| Median Income | Per Year | Per Month | Max Budget (28% DTI) | Max Budget (36% DTI) |
| Owners | $112,085 | $9,340 | $2,615 | $3,363 |
| Renters | $45,429 | $3,786 | $1,060 | $1,363 |
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax |
| Illinois | 6.25% | 10.25% |
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) |
| Illinois | 4.95% | 4.95% |
| Item | Columbus | National avg. | Difference |
| Haircut | $18.80 | $27.62 | 31.9% |
| Beauty Salon | $28.00 | $51.11 | 45.2% |
| Toothpaste | $4.11 | $4.09 | 0.4% |
| Shampoo | $1.21 | $1.54 | 21.5% |
| Movie | $11.55 | $12.88 | 10.3% |
| Yoga | $11.67 | $19.66 | 40.6% |
| Item | Columbus | National avg. | Difference |
| Ground Beef | $7.52 | $7.70 | 2.4% |
| Fried Chicken | $1.56 | $1.66 | 6.2% |
| Milk | $4.61 | $4.73 | 2.6% |
| Potatoes | $5.28 | $5.26 | 0.4% |
| Pizza | $13.90 | $12.76 | 8.9% |
| Beer | $10.19 | $10.55 | 3.4% |
| Item | Columbus | National avg. | Difference |
| Optometrist | $123.00 | $140.06 | 12.2% |
| Doctor | $183.60 | $153.82 | 19.4% |
| Dentist | $98.20 | $123.15 | 20.3% |
| Ibuprofen | $11.45 | $11.73 | 2.4% |
| Lipitor | $29.37 | $23.61 | 24.4% |
| Item | Columbus | National avg. | Difference |
| Home Price | $155,683.00 | $326,622.00 | 52.3% |
| Avg. Mortgage Payment | $1,682.46 | $2,480.25 | 32.2% |
| Apartment Rent | $1,243.00 | $1,444.00 | 13.9% |
| Item | Columbus | National avg. | Difference |
| Gasoline | $3.04 | $3.06 | 0.6% |
| Tire Balancing | $65.60 | $65.21 | 0.6% |
| Item | Columbus | National avg. | Difference |
| All Electricity | $205.61 | $220.12 | 6.6% |
| Phone | $191.50 | $195.71 | 2.2% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Plainville, IL | 292 | 79 | 21.2% |
| Clayton, IL | 602 | 79 | 20.9% |
| La Prairie, IL | 65 | 80 | 20.3% |
| Lima, IL | 109 | 81 | 19.4% |
| Loraine, IL | 426 | 81 | 19.1% |
| Columbus, IL | 83 | 84 | 15.9% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Goodyears Bar, CA | 83 | 97 | 2.8% |
| Rock Creek Park, CO | 83 | 124 | 23.7% |
| McIntire, IA | 83 | 82 | 18.3% |
| Hazel Green, KY | 83 | 99 | 1.3% |
| Fort Ripley, MN | 83 | 100 | 0.1% |
| Columbus, IL | 83 | 84 | 15.9% |
Here are the best places to live in Illinois
These are the largest cities in Illinois
Check out the 10 safest cities in Illinois
Check out the 10 most dangerous cities in Illinois