Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Adrian, MI: $2,065 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Adrian, MI
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Adrian, MI Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Adrian, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,065

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,065 in Adrian, MI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Adrian, MI $2,065

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,795 in Adrian, MI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Adrian, MI $2,795

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,525 in Adrian, MI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Adrian, MI $3,525

Chicago, IL costs about 49% more than Adrian, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Adrian, MI sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Adrian, MI by 53%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$15.20 $15.20

34.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$45.85 $45.85

93.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$8.11 $8.11

58.45%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$4.03 $4.03

43.42%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$1.99 $1.99

37.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.97 $0.97

132.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$3.49 $3.49

97.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$4.05 $4.05

128.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.91 $0.91

38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.38 $2.38

49.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.35 $2.35

128.94%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$3.02 $3.02

50.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$12.74 $12.74

7.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$6.79 $6.79

107.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$16.10 $16.10

12.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$3.75 $3.75

37.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.71 $2.71

-26.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.86 $2.86

35.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.03 $4.03

19.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.94 $1.94

44.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.75 $2.75

-2.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.83 $1.83

13.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.86 $1.86

62.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$8.95 $8.95

55.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$10.90 $10.90

38.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.18 $3.18

-17.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.24 $3.24

6.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.83 $1.83

32.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$51.6 $51.6

45.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.86 $3.86

-17.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.93 $1.93

-11.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$31.11 $31.11

-19.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.95 $0.95

34.74%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.8K $27.8K

28.79%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.9K $27.9K

-3.76%

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

$192 $192

$270 $270

-28.98%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$54.8 $54.8

26.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$68.1 $68.1

-8.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

$43.36 $43.36

10.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$15.18 $15.18

17.46%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$199 $199

813.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$8,905 $8,905

356.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$48.04 $48.04

37.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$40.04 $40.04

28.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$86.8 $86.8

19.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$138 $138

3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$904 $904

179.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$826 $826

96.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$1,233 $1,233

291.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$1,018 $1,018

168.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

$1,795 $1,795

131.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

$1,744 $1,744

56.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$4,990 $4,990

-1.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

7.03

-3.56%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Adrian, MI: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52.8%

Adrian, MI

$826 40% 49% $795

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Adrian, MI

$327 15.8% 25.6% $113

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Adrian, MI

$232 11.2% 32.6% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Adrian, MI

$393 19.1% 21.5% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Adrian, MI

$141 6.8% 13.9% $23

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Adrian, MI

$72 3.5% 25.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Adrian, MI

$74 3.6% 11.6% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $904 in Adrian, MI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $46 in Adrian, MI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $327 – making Adrian, MI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Adrian, MI

🕒 Local time

11:46 11:46 AM

12:46 12:46 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

21,703

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Adrian, MI 300 km

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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,065 in Adrian, MI – Adrian, MI comes out roughly 33% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,098 in Adrian, MI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Adrian, MI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $904 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,072 in Chicago, IL and $2,065 in Adrian, MI. That makes Adrian, MI about 33% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Adrian, MI. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Adrian, MI, where all-in costs run around $2,065, than in Chicago, IL at $3,072. In Adrian, MI it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Adrian, MI – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Adrian, MI is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 33% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.