Chicago vs Detroit - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Chicago Detroit
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2667
$2006
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$6807
$4783
🏠 One person rent
$1579
$1165
🏘️ Family rent
$3056
$1995
🍽️ Food expenses
$700
$595
🚐 Transport expenses
$205
$109
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4901
$4156
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
15 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
100
77
😀 Quality of life
96
88
🏙️ Population
2.75M
639K

The cost of living in Chicago is 33% more expensive than in Detroit. Cities ranked 483rd and 1856th ($2667 vs $2006) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 425th and 1553rd in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Chicago compared to 2.1 months in Detroit. Ranked 3rd vs 53rd best cities to live in the United States, and 20th vs 216th 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
$17.4
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$87.3
$68.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.7
$10
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.62
$5.52
☕ Cappuccino
$5.4
$5.1
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.12
$2.37
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1974
$1250
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1280
$894
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3828
$2485
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2594
$1533
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$102
$139
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$156
$210
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$59.1
$60.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.61%
6.4%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3554
$1059
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3158
$982
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.49
$2.02
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$76.5
$65.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.6
$13.6
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.12
$0.93
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.02
$0.89
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.92
$2.84
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5
$4.57
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.69
$3.81
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.8
$10.5
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.8
$11.5
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.9
$18.8
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.97
$4.13
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.91
$1.17
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.81
$4.64
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.56
$4.46
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.34
$2.54
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.08
$2.49
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.93
$1.5
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.86
$2.97
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.8
$11.7
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.9
$1.97
🚬 Cigarette pack
$16.6
$9.59
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$11.6
$11.6
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.03
$7.05
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.65
$3.48
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.81
$1.76
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$63.1
$32.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$15
$12.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$126
$93.8
💇 Haircut, simple
$29.3
$18.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$62.2
$50.1
👟 Brand Sneakers
$95.5
$85.9
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2457
$1296
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$19423
$16775

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Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2427
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2463
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2424
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2375
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2376
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2177
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2307
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2344
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2352
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2326
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2367
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2412
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2393
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2292
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2313
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2305
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2360
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2358
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2292
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2268
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2292
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1950
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2293
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2296
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2295
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2224
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1975
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2276
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2392
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2363
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2276
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2380
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2290
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2269
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2280
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2134
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2331
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$2002
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2274
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2357

Cities near Detroit

Distance City Cost of living
1.9 km or 1.2 mi Windsor
$1793
7.4 km or 4.6 mi Hamtramck
$1976
14 km or 8.6 mi Dearborn
$1904
15 km or 9.1 mi Lincoln Park
$1835
16 km or 9.8 mi Allen Park
$1851
16 km or 10 mi Ferndale
$2032
17 km or 10 mi Wyandotte
$1703
17 km or 11 mi Eastpointe
$1968
18 km or 11 mi Madison Heights
$2109
18 km or 11 mi Warren
$1923
19 km or 12 mi Oak Park
$1978
19 km or 12 mi Southgate
$1813
19 km or 12 mi Royal Oak
$2058
20 km or 12 mi Dearborn Heights
$1908
21 km or 13 mi Roseville
$1969
21 km or 13 mi Taylor
$1728
21 km or 13 mi Southfield
$1926
22 km or 14 mi St. Clair Shores
$1987
22 km or 14 mi Inkster
$1877
24 km or 15 mi Garden
$1848
26 km or 16 mi Amherstburg
$1833
27 km or 17 mi Birmingham
$1975
28 km or 17 mi Sterling Heights
$1880
28 km or 17 mi Livonia
$1849
29 km or 18 mi Troy
$1880
29 km or 18 mi Westland
$1955
30 km or 19 mi Clinton Township
$2109
31 km or 19 mi Romulus
$1909
32 km or 20 mi Farmington Hills
$2291
37 km or 23 mi Rochester Hills
$1939
39 km or 24 mi Novi
$2397
40 km or 25 mi Pontiac
$1700
42 km or 26 mi Auburn Hills
$1876
54 km or 34 mi Monroe
$1713
58 km or 36 mi Ann Arbor
$2260
71 km or 44 mi Chatham-Kent
$1905
86 km or 54 mi Toledo
$1662
88 km or 54 mi Burton
$1561
88 km or 54 mi Port Huron
$1936
89 km or 55 mi Sarnia
$1614