Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Muskegon, MI: $1,584 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Muskegon, MI
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Muskegon, MI Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Muskegon, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,584

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,584 in Muskegon, MI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Muskegon, MI $1,584

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,462 in Muskegon, MI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Muskegon, MI $2,462

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,340 in Muskegon, MI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Muskegon, MI $3,340

Chicago, IL costs about 98% more than Muskegon, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Muskegon, MI sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Muskegon, MI by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$15.09 $15.09

36.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$59.4 $59.4

51.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$8.67 $8.67

49.25%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.00 $5.00

12.00%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.24 $2.24

17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.77 $1.77

28.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.09 $6.09

14.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$5.93 $5.93

48.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.79 $0.79

60.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.75 $2.75

38.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.96 $2.96

79.05%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$2.05 $2.05

132.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$8.71 $8.71

60.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.21 $13.21

10.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$14.78 $14.78

27.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$7.01 $7.01

-25.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.32 $1.32

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.82 $3.82

2.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.15 $3.15

57.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.37 $2.37

16.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.58 $2.58

6.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.40 $2.40

-7.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.93 $1.93

54.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.02 $9.02

55.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$5.96 $5.96

156.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.09 $2.09

23.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.22 $2.22

57.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.92 $2.92

14.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.57 $1.57

-8.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$26.20 $26.20

-7.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.95 $0.95

32.63%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.2K $29.2K

19.81%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.4K $25.4K

2.77%

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

$193 $193

$130 $130

47.91%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$29.90 $29.90

128.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$56.9 $56.9

7.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$32.19 $32.19

68.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$5.05 $5.05

452.87%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$11.98 $11.98

48.08%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$2,004 $2,004

-17.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$19.6K $19.6K

58.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$26.93 $26.93

145.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$29.47 $29.47

73.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$86.4 $86.4

15.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$92.7 $92.7

52.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$840 $840

191.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$591 $591

183.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,698 $1,698

177.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,105 $1,105

152.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$1,966 $1,966

108.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$1,859 $1,859

42.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$3,629 $3,629

34.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.6

3.18%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Muskegon, MI: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Muskegon, MI

$591 37.3% 64.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Muskegon, MI

$338 21.3% 24.8% $112

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Muskegon, MI

$265 16.7% 22.8% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Muskegon, MI

$217 13.7% 32.6% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Muskegon, MI

$106 6.7% 34.3% $55

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Muskegon, MI

$11 * 0.7% 88.7% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Muskegon, MI

$56 3.6% 37.3% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $840 in Muskegon, MI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $59.0 in Muskegon, MI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $338 – making Muskegon, MI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Muskegon, MI

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

07:41 7:41 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

39,608

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Muskegon, MI 190 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 Muskegon, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $1,584 in Muskegon, MI – roughly 98% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,376 in Muskegon, MI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Muskegon, MI, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $59.0 in Muskegon, MI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Muskegon, MI, where all-in costs run around $1,584, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Muskegon, MI it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,584 in Muskegon, MI to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Muskegon, MI. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.