Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ann Arbor, MI and Newark, DE

For one person, living is cheaper in Newark, DE: $2,598 a month against $2,750 in Ann Arbor, MI, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Ann Arbor, MI despite lower rent and utilities.

133

Cost of Living Index in Ann Arbor, MI
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Ann Arbor, MI Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Newark, DE
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Newark, DE Living Index

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Ann Arbor, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,750

/mo nomad

Newark, DE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ann Arbor, MI and in Newark, DE

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,750 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $2,598 in Newark, DE.

Ann Arbor, MI $2,750
Newark, DE $2,598

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,198 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $3,550 in Newark, DE.

Ann Arbor, MI $4,198
Newark, DE $3,550

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,646 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $4,503 in Newark, DE.

Ann Arbor, MI $5,646
Newark, DE $4,503

Living in Ann Arbor, MI is roughly 6% more expensive than in Newark, DE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ann Arbor, MI 103% above, Newark, DE 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.66 $18.66

$16.20 $16.20

15.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 $59.3

0.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 $11.76

$8.73 $8.73

34.71%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

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

$2.90 $2.90

$2.40 $2.40

20.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.76 $1.76

18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 $6.47

$4.11 $4.11

57.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$6.10 $6.10

33.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.86 $0.86

15.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 $3.83

$1.95 $1.95

96.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.73 $2.73

78.75%

Eggs

$3.82 $3.82

$3.81 $3.81

0.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.36 $19.36

$9.82 $9.82

97.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.03 $13.03

$8.74 $8.74

49.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.93 $14.93

$15.31 $15.31

-2.48%

Apples (1kg)

$6.91 $6.91

$4.58 $4.58

50.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.33 $1.33

39.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$4.56 $4.56

-16.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$3.89 $3.89

15.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.54 $2.54

-5.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.56 $2.56

11.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.86 $1.86

35.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.38 $1.38

46.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.32 $10.32

$13.71 $13.71

-24.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 $15.09

$14.34 $14.34

5.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.75 $1.75

24.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.70 $3.70

2.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 $1.78

$4.11 $4.11

-56.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.62 $45.62

$60.4 $60.4

-24.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$4.91 $4.91

-40.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.11 $1.11

36.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.09 $26.09

$23.12 $23.12

12.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.99 $0.99

7.07%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$17.3K $17.3K

70.92%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$20.9K $20.9K

25.37%

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

$201 $201

$223 $223

-9.68%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$49.59 $49.59

18.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 $73.0

$51.1 $51.1

42.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.2 $63.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.46 $19.46

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 $13.22

$13.20 $13.20

0.15%

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

$1,999 $1,999

$1,950 $1,950

2.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$27.9K $27.9K

-29.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 $55.8

$45.75 $45.75

21.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.52 $44.52

$40.34 $40.34

10.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$86.0 $86.0

31.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$129 $129

-18.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 $2,077

$1,523 $1,523

36.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 $1,375

$1,434 $1,434

-4.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,811 $3,811

$2,652 $2,652

43.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 $2,692

$2,009 $2,009

34.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,516 $5,516

$2,516 $2,516

119.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,597 $2,597

$2,164 $2,164

19.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,148 $5,148

$4,249 $4,249

21.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.46

2.17%

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

Last update for Ann Arbor, MI: October 17, 2026

Last update for Newark, DE: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ann Arbor, MI

$1.4K 50%

Newark, DE

$1.4K 55.2% 4.3% $59

Groceries & Markets

Ann Arbor, MI

$430 15.7%

Newark, DE

$324 12.5% 24.8% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ann Arbor, MI

$333 12.1%

Newark, DE

$323 12.4% 2.9% $9.7

Eating Out

Ann Arbor, MI

$315 11.5%

Newark, DE

$267 10.3% 15.2% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Ann Arbor, MI

$144 5.2%

Newark, DE

$136 5.2% 5.6% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Ann Arbor, MI

$90 3.3%

Newark, DE

$26 * 1% 70.5% $63

Getting Around

Ann Arbor, MI

$63 2.3%

Newark, DE

$87 3.4% 37.9% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,077 in Ann Arbor, MI and $1,523 in Newark, DE. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ann Arbor, MI pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Ann Arbor, MI vs $59.0 in Newark, DE. Groceries flip the comparison at $430 vs $324, with Newark, DE cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ann Arbor, MI

🇺🇸 Newark, DE

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

Same time as Ann Arbor, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

123,851

311,549

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ann Arbor, MI Newark, DE 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ann Arbor, MI
Newark, DE

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Ann Arbor, MI vs Newark, DE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ann Arbor, MI and Newark, DE differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,750 vs $2,598 including rent). Newark, DE is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Ann Arbor, MI, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,077 in Ann Arbor, MI versus $1,523 in Newark, DE. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Newark, DE – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $59.0 in Ann Arbor, MI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,750 per month in Ann Arbor, MI versus $2,598 in Newark, DE – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,598 in Newark, DE versus $2,750 in Ann Arbor, MI, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Newark, DE but tight or insufficient in Ann Arbor, MI. The gap between the two cities makes Newark, DE 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.

Safety-wise, Ann Arbor, MI and Newark, DE are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Newark, DE gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Ann Arbor, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.