How Much Does It Cost to Live In Toledo, OH?
Toledo is a moderate-sized city in Northwest Ohio, on the Maumee River, at the edge of Lake Erie.
It is one of the most productive Ports on the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway and it’s got such diverse architecture that it can stand up to larger cities like Chicago.
The cost of living is definitely lower here, from the cost of real estate – which is very cheap – to the cost of food, entertainment, etc. which is also less than in most larger cities.
Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Chicago are also within a four-hour drive.
United States : Cost of Living by City
- Albany, NY
- Albuquerque, NM
- Anchorage, AK
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Arlington, TX
- Asheville, NC
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Bakersfield, CA
- Baltimore, MD
- Bellevue, WA
- Bellingham, WA
- Berkeley, CA
- Birmingham, AL
- Boise, ID
- Boston, MA
- Boulder, CO
- Brooklyn, NY
- Buffalo, NY
- Burlington, VT
- Charleston, SC
- Charlotte, NC
- Chattanooga, TN
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbia, SC
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Dayton, OH
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Detroit, MI
- El Paso, TX
- Eugene, OR
- Everett, WA
- Fayetteville, AR
- Fort Myers, FL
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Fort Worth, TX
- Fresno, CA
- Gainesville, FL
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Greensboro, NC
- Hartford, CT
- Honolulu, HI
- Houston, TX
- Huntsville, AL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Irvine, CA
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jersey City, NJ
- Kansas City, MO
- Knoxville, TN
- Las Vegas, NV
- Lexington, KY
- Little Rock, AR
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Lubbock, TX
- Madison, WI
- Memphis, TN
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Nashville, TN
- New Orleans, LA
- New York, NY
- Oakland, CA
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Olympia, WA
- Orlando, FL
- Peoria, IL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, ME
- Portland, OR
- Raleigh, NC
- Reno, NV
- Richmond, VA
- Rochester, NY
- Sacramento, CA
- Saint Louis, MO
- Saint Paul, MN
- Saint Petersburg, FL
- Salem, OR
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Springfield, MO
- Syracuse, NY
- Tacoma, WA
- Tallahassee, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Toledo, OH
- Tucson, AZ
- Tulsa, OK
- Vancouver, WA
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Washington, DC
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Wichita, KS
RESTAURANTS
Restaurant prices in Toledo are quite low compared to the rest of the country.
There are many charming and inexpensive restaurants, and don’t forget all the regular chain fast food eateries where you can get a delicious (albeit unhealthy) meal for just a couple of dollars.
There are also some upscale places, but you can find a really delicious meal for some 20$.
MARKETS
If you live a vegan lifestyle, you will need to be careful of where you shop, but there are many grocery stores and markets in Toledo.
The major supermarket chains in Toledo are the regular ones, and when it comes to Walmart – don’t forget to ask for a discount card.
Also, you can stop by to visit any of the occasional farmer’s markets where you’ll find gorgeous fresh produce.
TRANSPORTATION
The one thing that stands out about living in Toledo is the ease of getting around.
The traffic is very light most of the time, and you can generally get from one place in the metro area to another in less than 20 minutes, no matter where you start or finish, and at almost any time of the day or night.
It’s also very cheap, with a one-way bus ticket costing around 1.5$.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Utilities are a bit more expensive in Toledo, if you look at the price of all included utilities for an apartment of a larger structure (85m2): for such an apartment, all basic utilities – including electricity, along with heating and cooling, water, gas and garbage services – costs around 280$.
Internet is pretty pricey though, amounting to 56$.
SPORTS & LEISURE
There’s proximity to Lake Erie and the Maumee River for boating, fishing, and swimming, as well as an excellent metro park system with biking and hiking trails.
But if you prefer exercising indoors, becoming a member of a gym or a fitness club will cost you only around 10$ a month.
Going to the cinema costs nearly the same as it does in most popular European destinations – around 10$ per ticket.
CLOTHING & SHOES
There is one mall in Toledo and two more outside of the city, easily gotten to.
Like everything else, the prices of clothing in Toledo are lower, too.
For example, a pair of quality jeans like Levi’s costs around 36$, a pair of quality running sneakers like Nike are around 80$, while simpler items of clothing like shirts cost around 100$.
RENT PER MONTH
Rent is cheaper in Toledo than in most other cities: in fact, when it comes to rent – Toledo is possibly one of the cheapest cities in America.
Still, it all depends on where you want to rent.
If you want to live in the center of Toledo, the apartment will cost you around 1100$ but if you want to cut your expenses you can find a charming little apartment on the outskirts of the city for around 750$.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Toledo, OH
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $20.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $3.50 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.62 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.70 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $2.70 |
| Eggs (12) | $3.06 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $1.50 |
| Monthly Pass | $79.50 |
| Gasoline | $0.91 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $280.29 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.10 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $56.5 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $10.00 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $17.95 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $10.00 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $36.67 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $54.3 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $82.50 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $1133.33 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $750.00 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $1866.67 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Toledo, OH?
Food is the biggest expense for anyone living in Toledo, which is no wonder since rent isn’t really that high and groceries are a necessity.
However, with almost 25% of one’s entire income being spent on rent, it is clear that however cheap, rent is still a huge financial burden for anyone.
Apart from food and rent, people spend a lot of money on restaurants – since there are many people who are used to eating all three meals in restaurants.
Interestingly enough, utilities are, it seems, as necessary for the people of Toledo, as fitness is!
Average Costs Breakdown
Toledo, OH: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
In Toledo, there’s a variety of white collar and Blue collar jobs available and a relatively low level of unemployment.
However, it’s still not a major scene for emerging businesses.
The minimum wage in Toledo is around 1400$ – and though the prices are higher in the US too, this is still a reasonable amount of money that just goes in line with the high standard of living here.
The average monthly salary is almost 4300$ which is quite enough for a decent life – though, if you’re renting, you might want to cut on some expenses, just in case.
Toledo Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Toledo Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
