Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
130

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Allegan, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,578

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Allegan, 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 Allegan, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 18% more expensive than in Allegan, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$20.54 $20.54

0.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$89.8 $89.8

-0.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$13.21 $13.21

-0.15%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.78 $5.78

-2.08%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.72 $2.72

-2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.23 $2.23

2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.97 $6.97

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.14 $9.14

-3.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.21 $1.21

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.85 $3.85

-3.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.36 $5.36

0.56%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.57 $4.57

3.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$13.75 $13.75

0.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.19 $14.19

1.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.09 $18.09

1.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.38 $5.38

-2.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.96 $1.96

1.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.89 $3.89

4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.74 $4.74

4.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.70 $2.70

-1.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.64 $2.64

0.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.17 $2.17

3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.98 $2.98

5.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$14.27 $14.27

-3.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.04 $15.04

-1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.67 $2.67

-4.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.45 $3.45

1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.83 $1.83

32.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$68.0 $68.0

8.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.21 $3.21

-0.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.36 $1.36

2.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$24.94 $24.94

0.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.17 $1.17

2.56%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$35.3K $35.3K

-0.61%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

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)

$69.5 $69.5

$70.2 $70.2

-1.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$60.7 $60.7

1.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$41.04 $41.04

16.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$18.15 $18.15

-1.87%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,862 $1,862

-3.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

0.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$67.8 $67.8

-1.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$52.0 $52.0

0.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$98.5 $98.5

3.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$145 $145

-0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,584 $1,584

59.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,138 $1,138

38.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,742 $2,742

72.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,927 $1,927

39.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$3,199 $3,199

30.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,154 $2,154

28.52%

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 Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Allegan, MI: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Allegan, MI

$1.1K 44.2% 27.9% $440

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Allegan, MI

$443 17.2% 1% $4.5

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Allegan, MI

$346 13.4% 0.4% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Allegan, MI

$325 12.6% 0.3% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Allegan, MI

$163 6.3% 0.4% $0.7

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Allegan, MI

$85 3.3% 8.5% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Allegan, MI

$77 3% 7.4% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

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

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Allegan, MI

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

22:14 10:14 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

5,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Allegan, MI 160 km

From you

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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

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

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

You’d need roughly $4,555 in Chicago, IL and $3,867 in Allegan, MI 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: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,584 in Allegan, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you’ll spend $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL versus $2,578 in Allegan, MI – 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.