Cost of Living Comparison Between Houghton, MI and Telford Cost of Living Comparison Between Houghton, MI and Telford

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,494 in Houghton, MI versus $1,956 in Telford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,605 in Houghton, MI versus $2,855 in Telford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,716 in Houghton, MI versus $3,755 in Telford.

Living in Houghton, MI is roughly 28% more expensive than Telford, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houghton, MI 85% above, Telford 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.77 $12.77

$15.12 £11.20

-15.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.89 $39.89

$75.8 £56.2

-47.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 $10.17

$9.89 £7.33

2.83%

Cappuccino

$4.08 $4.08

$4.19 £3.10

-2.63%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$2.81 £2.09

-2.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.08 £0.80

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$7.59 £5.62

-21.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 $6.88

$7.61 £5.64

-9.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.70 £1.26

-35.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.01 £0.75

256.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$1.37 £1.01

227.01%

Eggs

$4.07 $4.07

$3.46 £2.56

17.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 $12.41

$7.50 £5.56

65.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 $11.49

$9.51 £7.05

20.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 $15.28

$11.77 £8.72

29.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.50 £1.86

101.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$3.00 £2.22

-48.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.55 £1.89

70.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$2.74 £2.03

75.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.85 £1.37

49.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.05 £1.52

36.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.03 £0.76

97.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.33 £0.99

63.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.32 $9.32

$20.07 £14.87

-53.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$9.02 £6.68

67.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$5.11 £3.79

-65.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$3.10 £2.30

10.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.45 £2.56

-43.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$134 £99.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 $3.49

$7.12 £5.28

-50.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.20 £0.89

32.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.62 $28.62

$23.52 £17.43

21.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.90 £1.41

-55.79%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$33.5K £24.8K

-10.10%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$41.1K £30.5K

-36.61%

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

$186 $186

$320 £237

-41.87%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$21.91 £16.24

144.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 $66.7

$36.22 £26.84

84.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.63 $42.63

$48.18 £35.70

-11.52%

Cinema Ticket

$13.27 $13.27

$16.07 £11.91

-17.42%

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

$1,322 $1,322

$1,600 £1,186

-17.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$34.0K £25.2K

-31.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 $51.8

$49.51 £36.69

4.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.51 $40.51

$31.16 £23.09

30.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$88.1 £65.3

-1.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$100.0 £74.1

9.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$863 £639

86.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 $1,340

$672 £498

99.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,600 $2,600

$1,302 £965

99.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 $2,266

$1,070 £793

111.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,552 $1,552

$4,055 £3,004

-61.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 $1,586

$8,562 £6,344

-81.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,606 $2,606

$2,789 £2,067

-6.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.1

6.72%

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

Last update for Houghton, MI: April 12, 2026

Last update for Telford: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Houghton, MI and $863 in Telford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Telford pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40 in Houghton, MI vs $76 in Telford. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $286, with Telford cheaper for home cooking.

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

Houghton, MI vs Telford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Telford is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Telford earns 7% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Houghton, MI versus $863 in Telford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Houghton, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,494 per month in Houghton, MI versus $1,956 in Telford – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,956 in Telford versus $2,494 in Houghton, MI, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Telford but tight or insufficient in Houghton, MI. The gap between the two cities makes Telford 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.

Safety-wise, Houghton, MI and Telford are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Telford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Houghton, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.