Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boca Raton, FL and Traverse City, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Traverse City, MI: $2,666 a month against $3,423 in Boca Raton, FL, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

164

Cost of Living Index in Boca Raton, FL
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Boca Raton, FL Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Traverse City, MI
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Traverse City, MI Living Index

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Boca Raton, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,423

/mo nomad

Traverse City, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Boca Raton, FL and in Traverse City, MI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,423 in Boca Raton, FL versus $2,666 in Traverse City, MI.

Boca Raton, FL $3,423
Traverse City, MI $2,666

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,232 in Boca Raton, FL versus $3,947 in Traverse City, MI.

Boca Raton, FL $5,232
Traverse City, MI $3,947

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,041 in Boca Raton, FL versus $5,228 in Traverse City, MI.

Boca Raton, FL $7,041
Traverse City, MI $5,228

Living in Boca Raton, FL is roughly 28% more expensive than in Traverse City, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Boca Raton, FL 153% above, Traverse City, MI 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.78 $24.78

$21.49 $21.49

15.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$77.4 $77.4

29.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.29 $12.29

$11.34 $11.34

8.38%

Cappuccino

$4.59 $4.59

$4.78 $4.78

-3.97%

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

$2.27 $2.27

$2.48 $2.48

-8.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.08 $2.08

-9.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$4.90 $4.90

24.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$6.53 $6.53

9.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.73 $0.73

43.84%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.07 $3.07

38.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.36 $4.36

62.61%

Eggs

$5.33 $5.33

$2.67 $2.67

99.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 $11.62

$19.14 $19.14

-39.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$12.34 $12.34

14.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.50 $23.50

$22.33 $22.33

5.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$6.84 $6.84

-27.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.44 $1.44

31.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.84 $3.84

-1.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$6.69 $6.69

-23.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.70 $2.70

19.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.15 $3.15

3.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.36 $2.36

-57.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.64 $2.64

-2.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 $10.16

$5.96 $5.96

70.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 $14.02

$15.02 $15.02

-6.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.00 $2.00

-0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$7.01 $7.01

-65.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$6.02 $6.02

-65.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.69 $35.69

$30.60 $30.60

16.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 $4.01

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 $0.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.02 $1.02

-7.84%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-1.48%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.0K $26.0K

-2.22%

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

$217 $217

$116 $116

87.19%

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

$53.9 $53.9

$37.85 $37.85

42.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 $73.5

$68.8 $68.8

6.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.17 $36.17

$62.7 $62.7

-42.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 $20.21

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 $15.19

$9.81 $9.81

54.84%

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

$1,073 $1,073

$1,017 $1,017

5.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$11.3K $11.3K

88.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.13 $46.13

$58.2 $58.2

-20.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.47 $42.47

$40.93 $40.93

3.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 $70.7

$101 $101

-29.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.1 $68.1

$87.4 $87.4

-22.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,372 $3,372

$1,958 $1,958

72.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 $2,057

$1,404 $1,404

46.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,578 $4,578

$3,796 $3,796

20.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,894 $3,894

$2,317 $2,317

68.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,693 $8,693

$3,395 $3,395

156.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,480 $6,480

$3,324 $3,324

94.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,714 $5,714

$2,796 $2,796

104.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

6.32

3.32%

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

Last update for Boca Raton, FL: October 17, 2026

Last update for Traverse City, MI: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boca Raton, FL

$2.1K 60.1%

Traverse City, MI

$1.4K 52.7% 31.7% $653

Groceries & Markets

Boca Raton, FL

$449 13.1%

Traverse City, MI

$453 17% 1% $4.3

Eating Out

Boca Raton, FL

$352 10.3%

Traverse City, MI

$319 12% 9.2% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boca Raton, FL

$345 10.1%

Traverse City, MI

$223 8.4% 35.4% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Boca Raton, FL

$102 3%

Traverse City, MI

$129 4.9% 26.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Boca Raton, FL

$67 1.9%

Traverse City, MI

$82 3.1% 23.7% $16

Getting Around

Boca Raton, FL

$52 1.5%

Traverse City, MI

$55 * 2.1% 6.1% $3.1

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 $3,372 in Boca Raton, FL and $1,958 in Traverse City, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boca Raton, FL pays 104% 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: $100 in Boca Raton, FL vs $77.0 in Traverse City, MI. Groceries flip the comparison at $449 vs $453, with Boca Raton, FL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boca Raton, FL

🇺🇸 Traverse City, MI

🕒 Local time

10:27 10:27 AM

Same time as Boca Raton, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

86,396

15,678

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Boca Raton, FL Traverse City, MI 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Boca Raton, FL
Traverse City, MI

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

Boca Raton, FL vs Traverse City, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Traverse City, MI is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 104% higher in Boca Raton, FL, 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: $3,372 in Boca Raton, FL versus $1,958 in Traverse City, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Traverse City, MI – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $100 in Boca Raton, FL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,423 per month in Boca Raton, FL versus $2,666 in Traverse City, MI – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Traverse City, MI is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Traverse City, MI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Boca Raton, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.