Chicago vs Detroit - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Detroit
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2822
$2032
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6502
$4925
🏠 One person rent
$1695
$1105
🏘️ Family rent
$2718
$1878
🍽️ Food expenses
$730
$664
🚐 Transport expenses
$192
$121
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5026
$3072
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
100
77
😀 Quality of life
95
88
🏙️ Population
2.75M
639K

The cost of living in Chicago is 39% more expensive than in Detroit. Cities ranked 375th and 1947th ($2822 vs $2032) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 311th and 1526th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 1.5 months in Detroit. Ranked 3rd vs 95th best cities to live in the United States, and 22nd vs 318th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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Prices in Chicago vs Detroit

Prices for goods and services in Chicago and Detroit are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Chicago Detroit
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$19.9
$18.1
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$99.7
$66.5
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$13.5
$11.5
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$6.93
$6.88
 Cappuccino
$5.6
$5.48
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.05
$2.95
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2002
$1299
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1406
$820
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3205
$2296
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2314
$1448
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$101
$130
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$157
$201
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$68
$59.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.66%
6.34%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3759
$1602
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2521
$1188
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.5
$2
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$75.2
$75.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$14.5
$15.4
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.99
$0.88
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.24
$0.95
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$4.16
$3.34
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.38
$6.68
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.59
$3.71
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.3
$13.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.8
$12.1
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$17.6
$16.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.36
$5.04
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.81
$1.4
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.9
$5.46
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.44
$5.71
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.56
$2.49
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.56
$2.83
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.8
$1.6
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.62
$3.05
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.1
$15.8
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.03
$3.04
🚬 Cigarette pack
$16.9
$10.3
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$13.9
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.06
$7.05
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.23
$3.46
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.21
$1.75
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$69.5
$40.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$16.7
$11.8
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$154
$88.2
💇 Haircut, simple
$33
$18.2
👖 Brand Jeans
$60.8
$58.3
👟 Brand Sneakers
$99.7
$100
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1863
$1360
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$24172
$19339

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2429
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2374
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2432
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2406
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2396
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2202
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2300
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2449
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2418
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2443
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2381
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2408
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2466
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2295
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2439
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2454
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2433
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2521
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2438
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2475
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2434
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1906
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2411
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2440
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2425
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2503
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1889
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2438
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2415
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2477
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2434
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2525
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2354
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2421
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2412
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2311
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2398
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1862
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2425
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2434

Cities near Detroit

Distance City Cost of living
1.9 km or 1.2 mi Windsor
$1980
7.4 km or 4.6 mi Hamtramck
$1947
14 km or 8.6 mi Dearborn
$1975
15 km or 9.1 mi Lincoln Park
$1926
16 km or 9.8 mi Allen Park
$1993
16 km or 10 mi Ferndale
$1939
17 km or 10 mi Wyandotte
$1758
17 km or 11 mi Eastpointe
$1909
18 km or 11 mi Madison Heights
$1969
18 km or 11 mi Warren
$1820
19 km or 12 mi Oak Park
$1943
19 km or 12 mi Southgate
$1907
19 km or 12 mi Royal Oak
$1946
20 km or 12 mi Dearborn Heights
$1926
21 km or 13 mi Roseville
$1905
21 km or 13 mi Taylor
$2030
21 km or 13 mi Southfield
$1915
22 km or 14 mi St. Clair Shores
$1905
22 km or 14 mi Inkster
$1941
24 km or 15 mi Garden
$1876
26 km or 16 mi Amherstburg
$1926
27 km or 17 mi Birmingham
$1968
28 km or 17 mi Sterling Heights
$1837
28 km or 17 mi Livonia
$1920
29 km or 18 mi Troy
$1972
29 km or 18 mi Westland
$1945
30 km or 19 mi Clinton Township
$1944
31 km or 19 mi Romulus
$2004
32 km or 20 mi Farmington Hills
$2181
37 km or 23 mi Rochester Hills
$1940
39 km or 24 mi Novi
$2307
40 km or 25 mi Pontiac
$1796
42 km or 26 mi Auburn Hills
$1913
54 km or 34 mi Monroe
$1701
58 km or 36 mi Ann Arbor
$2285
71 km or 44 mi Chatham-Kent
$1843
86 km or 54 mi Toledo
$1624
88 km or 54 mi Burton
$1635
88 km or 54 mi Port Huron
$1957
89 km or 55 mi Sarnia
$1619