Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Lake Orion, MI Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Lake Orion, MI

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Chicago, IL is 49.1% more expensive than Lake Orion, MI without rent, and 27% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Chicago, IL is 30% more expensive than Lake Orion, MI without rent, and 32.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Chicago, IL
Lake Orion, MI
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.10 $20.10
$17.83 $17.83
12.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 $102
$71.3 $71.3
42.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.02 $12.02
$9.16 $9.16
31.22%
Cappuccino
$5.62 $5.62
$4.78 $4.78
17.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 $3.01
$2.62 $2.62
14.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.64 $1.64
43.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.98 $6.98
$5.96 $5.96
17.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.45 $8.45
$7.15 $7.15
18.18%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
Lake Orion, MI
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 $1.09
$0.78 $0.78
39.74%
White Bread (500g)
$4.12 $4.12
$2.47 $2.47
66.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.57 $5.57
$1.73 $1.73
221.97%
Eggs
$4.51 $4.51
$3.24 $3.24
39.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.42 $14.42
$15.46 $15.46
-6.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.02 $15.02
$7.89 $7.89
90.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.98 $18.98
$15.27 $15.27
24.30%
Apples (1kg)
$5.20 $5.20
$3.04 $3.04
71.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.37 $1.37
29.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$2.81 $2.81
54.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.53 $4.53
$5.90 $5.90
-23.22%
Potato (1kg)
$2.55 $2.55
$2.20 $2.20
15.91%
Onion (1kg)
$2.71 $2.71
$3.79 $3.79
-28.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.49 $2.49
$2.46 $2.46
1.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 $2.63
$2.82 $2.82
-6.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.12 $15.12
$9.12 $9.12
65.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.91 $14.91
$15.11 $15.11
-1.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$1.83 $1.83
34.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 $3.66
$3.53 $3.53
3.68%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Chicago, IL
Lake Orion, MI
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.57 $2.57
$2.01 $2.01
27.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.3 $74.3
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.30 $3.30
$4.65 $4.65
-29.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 $1.37
$1.41 $1.41
-2.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.96 $24.96
$28.36 $28.36
-11.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 $1.06
$0.89 $0.89
19.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.4K $31.4K
$24.5K $24.5K
28.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$24.8K $24.8K
5.73%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
Lake Orion, MI
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$187 $187
$118 $118
57.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.0 $63.0
$35.14 $35.14
79.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.8 $65.8
$50.4 $50.4
30.57%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
Lake Orion, MI
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$75.2 $75.2
$42.55 $42.55
76.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.95 $12.95
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.13 $15.13
$10.88 $10.88
39.06%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Chicago, IL
Lake Orion, MI
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,067 $2,067
$938 $938
120.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$38.8K $38.8K
$21.1K $21.1K
83.56%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
Lake Orion, MI
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.0 $64.0
$49.78 $49.78
28.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.8 $50.8
$50.6 $50.6
0.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.3 $97.3
$80.9 $80.9
20.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$144 $144
$79.2 $79.2
81.16%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
Lake Orion, MI
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,338 $2,338
$1,619 $1,619
44.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 $1,614
$1,344 $1,344
20.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,764 $4,764
$2,634 $2,634
80.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,762 $2,762
$2,226 $2,226
24.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,766 $3,766
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,614 $2,614
-
-
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Chicago, IL
Lake Orion, MI
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,006 $5,006
$4,759 $4,759
5.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
6.51
1.38%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chicago, IL: March 3, 2026

Last update for Lake Orion, MI: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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