Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Royal Oak, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Royal Oak, MI: $2,713 a month against $3,072 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
130

Cost of Living Index in Royal Oak, MI
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Royal Oak, MI Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,072

/mo nomad

Royal Oak, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,072 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,713 in Royal Oak, MI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,072
Royal Oak, MI $2,713

A couple spends around $4,545 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,105 in Royal Oak, MI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,545
Royal Oak, MI $4,105

A family of three spends $6,019 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,497 in Royal Oak, MI, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,019
Royal Oak, MI $5,497

Chicago, IL costs about 13% more than Royal Oak, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Chicago, IL and Royal Oak, MI sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 127%, Royal Oak, MI by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$17.80 $17.80

14.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 $88.6

$63.7 $63.7

38.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$12.49 $12.49

2.88%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.69 $5.69

1.58%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.58 $2.58

6.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.99 $1.99

13.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 $6.88

$5.86 $5.86

17.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$7.99 $7.99

15.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.05 $1.05

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.40 $3.40

4.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.42 $5.42

-0.74%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$3.99 $3.99

14.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$13.43 $13.43

1.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$11.28 $11.28

24.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.06 $18.06

$16.78 $16.78

7.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.04 $5.04

2.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.54 $1.54

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.20 $4.20

-7.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.70 $4.70

2.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.65 $2.65

6.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.18 $3.18

-16.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.30 $2.30

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.24 $2.24

35.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 $13.90

$10.05 $10.05

38.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.11 $15.11

-0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.44 $2.44

7.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.37 $3.37

2.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.55 $2.55

-4.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.3 $75.3

$71.2 $71.2

5.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.68 $2.68

18.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.36 $1.36

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 $24.90

$23.82 $23.82

4.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.06 $1.06

20.75%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$33.6K $33.6K

6.36%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.78%

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

$192 $192

$211 $211

-9.14%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$65.1 $65.1

6.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$68.7 $68.7

-9.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.79 $47.79

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.10 $27.10

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 $17.83

$11.96 $11.96

49.08%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,031 $1,031

76.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$20.6K $20.6K

97.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$59.7 $59.7

10.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$38.23 $38.23

34.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$96.2 $96.2

7.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$116 $116

22.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$1,519 $1,519

66.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$1,398 $1,398

15.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,828 $4,828

$3,532 $3,532

36.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,734 $2,734

$2,678 $2,678

2.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,163 $4,163

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,723 $2,723

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,924 $4,924

$5,831 $5,831

-15.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

6.49

4.47%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: November 3, 2026

Last update for Royal Oak, 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%

Royal Oak, MI

$1.4K 51.5% 13.8% $223

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$439 14.3%

Royal Oak, MI

$403 14.9% 8.2% $36

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$344 11.2%

Royal Oak, MI

$312 11.5% 9.4% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$324 10.5%

Royal Oak, MI

$345 12.7% 6.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.3%

Royal Oak, MI

$140 5.2% 14.6% $24

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$97 3.2%

Royal Oak, MI

$91 3.4% 5.9% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$83 2.7%

Royal Oak, MI

$24 * 0.9% 71.3% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,531 in Chicago, IL versus $1,519 in Royal Oak, 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 18% higher in Royal Oak, MI, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $64 in Royal Oak, MI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $439 vs $403 – making Royal Oak, MI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Royal Oak, MI

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

23:05 11:05 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

58,211

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Chicago, IL Royal Oak, MI 380 km

From you

Chicago, IL
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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 Royal Oak, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,072 in Chicago, IL, $2,713 in Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak, MI comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,608 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,069 in Royal Oak, MI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Royal Oak, MI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,519 there versus $2,531 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $64 in Royal Oak, MI. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Royal Oak, MI, where all-in costs run around $2,713, than in Chicago, IL at $3,072. In Royal Oak, MI it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Royal Oak, MI is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 12% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.