Chicago vs Detroit - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Detroit
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2678
$2064
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6655
$4936
🏠 One person rent
$1596
$1212
🏘️ Family rent
$2946
$2122
🍽️ Food expenses
$700
$605
🚐 Transport expenses
$200
$109
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4876
$3270
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
100
77
😀 Quality of life
95
86
🏙️ Population
2.75M
639K

The cost of living in Chicago is 30% more expensive than in Detroit. Cities ranked 529th and 1678th ($2678 vs $2064) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 483rd and 1488th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 1.6 months in Detroit. Ranked 3rd vs 83rd best cities to live in the United States, and 23rd vs 315th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Chicago vs Detroit infographic

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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
$21.9
$17.3
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$90.6
$65.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$10
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7
$5.59
 Cappuccino
$5.4
$4.88
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.95
$2.45
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1841
$1182
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1327
$960
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3729
$2340
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2474
$1705
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$104
$148
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$159
$231
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$62.1
$59.6
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.68%
6.48%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3391
$1377
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2689
$1283
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.48
$1.98
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$75.1
$65.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.1
$13.9
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.06
$0.9
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.94
$0.86
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.68
$2.9
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.61
$4.79
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.13
$4.05
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.5
$12.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.2
$11.9
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.3
$20.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.67
$4.58
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.84
$1.19
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.36
$5.32
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.43
$4.84
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.18
$2.29
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.71
$2.5
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.81
$1.38
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.85
$3.09
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.9
$13.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.04
$2.03
🚬 Cigarette pack
$15
$9.76
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.5
$11.7
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.02
$6.93
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.63
$3.48
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.76
$1.74
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$63
$39.7
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$14.8
$12
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$127
$94.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$29.8
$18.6
👖 Brand Jeans
$59
$48.7
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.4
$85.9
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2114
$1288
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$24502
$16893

Cost of living in other countries

ChicagoDetroit

Cost of living

$349

$907

$6.64K

More cities to compare

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2425
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2421
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2510
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2426
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2444
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2194
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2256
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2401
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2418
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2384
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2314
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2334
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2389
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2264
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2377
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2392
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2363
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2509
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2359
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2393
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2360
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1938
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2362
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2363
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2344
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2396
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1948
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2350
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2378
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2446
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2369
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2506
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2342
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2367
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2342
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2227
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2345
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1954
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2351
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2371

Cities near Detroit

Distance City Cost of living
1.9 km or 1.2 mi Windsor
$1694
7.4 km or 4.6 mi Hamtramck
$2042
14 km or 8.6 mi Dearborn
$2064
15 km or 9.1 mi Lincoln Park
$1962
16 km or 9.8 mi Allen Park
$2070
16 km or 10 mi Ferndale
$2086
17 km or 10 mi Wyandotte
$1786
17 km or 11 mi Eastpointe
$2017
18 km or 11 mi Madison Heights
$2102
18 km or 11 mi Warren
$1957
19 km or 12 mi Oak Park
$2071
19 km or 12 mi Southgate
$1936
19 km or 12 mi Royal Oak
$2093
20 km or 12 mi Dearborn Heights
$2062
21 km or 13 mi Roseville
$2022
21 km or 13 mi Taylor
$2175
21 km or 13 mi Southfield
$2083
22 km or 14 mi St. Clair Shores
$2030
22 km or 14 mi Inkster
$2087
24 km or 15 mi Garden
$2032
26 km or 16 mi Amherstburg
$1724
27 km or 17 mi Birmingham
$2059
28 km or 17 mi Sterling Heights
$2040
28 km or 17 mi Livonia
$1940
29 km or 18 mi Troy
$1963
29 km or 18 mi Westland
$2065
30 km or 19 mi Clinton Township
$2077
31 km or 19 mi Romulus
$2081
32 km or 20 mi Farmington Hills
$2390
37 km or 23 mi Rochester Hills
$2019
39 km or 24 mi Novi
$2288
40 km or 25 mi Pontiac
$1837
42 km or 26 mi Auburn Hills
$1959
54 km or 34 mi Monroe
$1706
58 km or 36 mi Ann Arbor
$2238
71 km or 44 mi Chatham-Kent
$1778
86 km or 54 mi Toledo
$1593
88 km or 54 mi Burton
$1607
88 km or 54 mi Port Huron
$1943
89 km or 55 mi Sarnia
$1527