Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Allegan, MI and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Allegan, MI: $2,578 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Allegan, MI
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Allegan, MI Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Allegan, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,578

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Allegan, MI and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Allegan, MI and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,578 in Allegan, MI versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL.

Allegan, MI $2,578
Chicago, IL $3,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,873 in Allegan, MI versus $4,518 in Chicago, IL.

Allegan, MI $3,873
Chicago, IL $4,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,168 in Allegan, MI versus $5,999 in Chicago, IL.

Allegan, MI $5,168
Chicago, IL $5,999

Living in Allegan, MI costs roughly 15% less than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Allegan, MI 89% above, Chicago, IL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.54 $20.54

$20.71 $20.71

-0.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 $89.8

$89.2 $89.2

0.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.21 $13.21

$13.19 $13.19

0.15%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.66 $5.66

2.12%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.64 $2.64

3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.28 $2.28

-2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 $6.97

$6.87 $6.87

1.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.14 $9.14

$8.84 $8.84

3.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.25 $1.25

-3.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.72 $3.72

3.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$5.39 $5.39

-0.56%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$4.74 $4.74

-3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.75 $13.75

$13.84 $13.84

-0.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.19 $14.19

$14.40 $14.40

-1.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.09 $18.09

$18.38 $18.38

-1.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.22 $5.22

3.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.98 $1.98

-1.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$4.06 $4.06

-4.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$4.97 $4.97

-4.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.67 $2.67

1.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.66 $2.66

-0.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.24 $2.24

-3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.13 $3.13

-4.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.27 $14.27

$13.82 $13.82

3.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 $15.04

$14.88 $14.88

1.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.54 $2.54

5.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.51 $3.51

-1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.43 $2.43

-24.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.0 $68.0

$73.5 $73.5

-7.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.18 $3.18

0.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.39 $1.39

-2.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.94 $24.94

$25.03 $25.03

-0.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.20 $1.20

-2.50%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.3K $35.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

0.62%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.40%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$194 $194

-0.41%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$69.5 $69.5

1.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.7 $60.7

$61.6 $61.6

-1.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.04 $41.04

$47.90 $47.90

-14.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$18.15 $18.15

$17.81 $17.81

1.91%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,862 $1,862

$1,794 $1,794

3.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

-0.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 $67.8

$67.0 $67.0

1.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 $52.0

$52.1 $52.1

-0.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 $98.5

$102 $102

-2.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$144 $144

0.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$2,526 $2,526

-37.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 $1,138

$1,578 $1,578

-27.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 $2,742

$4,738 $4,738

-42.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 $1,927

$2,693 $2,693

-28.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$4,190 $4,190

-23.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,154 $2,154

$2,768 $2,768

-22.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Allegan, MI: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Allegan, MI

$1.1K 44.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 38.6% $440

Groceries & Markets

Allegan, MI

$443 17.2%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 1% $4.5

Eating Out

Allegan, MI

$346 13.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 0.4% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Allegan, MI

$325 12.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 0.3% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Allegan, MI

$163 6.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 0.4% $0.7

Getting Around

Allegan, MI

$85 3.3%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 9.3% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Allegan, MI

$77 3%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 8% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,584 in Allegan, MI and $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90 in Allegan, MI vs $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $443 vs $447, with Allegan, MI cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Allegan, MI

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

19:12 7:12 PM

18:12 6:12 PM

1 h behind Allegan, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Allegan, MI Chicago, IL 160 km

From you

Allegan, MI
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Allegan, MI vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,578 in Allegan, MI and $3,037 in Chicago, IL, so Allegan, MI is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,867 in Allegan, MI and $4,555 in Chicago, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,584 in Allegan, MI versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,862 in Allegan, MI versus $1,794 in Chicago, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $2,578 per month in Allegan, MI versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Allegan, MI is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,578 in Allegan, MI versus $3,037 in Chicago, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Allegan, MI but tight or insufficient in Chicago, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Allegan, MI the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.