Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Orion, MI: $2,456 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Lake Orion, MI
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Lake Orion, MI Living Index
147

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

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Lake Orion, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,456

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lake Orion, MI and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lake Orion, MI and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,456 per month in Lake Orion, MI vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lake Orion, MI $2,456
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,483 per month in Lake Orion, MI vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lake Orion, MI $3,483
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,510 per month in Lake Orion, MI vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lake Orion, MI $4,510
Chicago, IL $5,999

Lake Orion, MI is about 19% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lake Orion, MI and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Lake Orion, MI by 80%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.00 $20.00

$20.71 $20.71

-3.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 $69.1

$89.2 $89.2

-22.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.16 $9.16

$13.19 $13.19

-30.55%

Cappuccino

$4.53 $4.53

$5.66 $5.66

-19.96%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$2.64 $2.64

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.28 $2.28

-25.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$6.87 $6.87

-15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 $6.43

$8.84 $8.84

-27.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.25 $1.25

-40.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.72 $3.72

-34.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$5.39 $5.39

-69.39%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$4.74 $4.74

-5.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.40 $15.40

$13.84 $13.84

11.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$14.40 $14.40

-46.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 $14.88

$18.38 $18.38

-19.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$5.22 $5.22

-40.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.98 $1.98

-15.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$4.06 $4.06

-33.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$4.97 $4.97

26.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.67 $2.67

-21.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.66 $2.66

35.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.24 $2.24

27.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.13 $3.13

-20.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.52 $10.52

$13.82 $13.82

-23.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$14.88 $14.88

1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.54 $2.54

-18.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.51 $3.51

-25.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.43 $2.43

-16.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.0 $58.0

$73.5 $73.5

-21.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.18 $3.18

44.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.39 $1.39

41.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.75 $31.75

$25.03 $25.03

26.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.20 $1.20

-31.67%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-22.26%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.96%

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

$128 $128

$194 $194

-34.09%

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

$34.36 $34.36

$69.5 $69.5

-50.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.45 $49.45

$61.6 $61.6

-19.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.09 $42.09

$47.90 $47.90

-12.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 $11.84

$17.81 $17.81

-33.52%

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

$924 $924

$1,794 $1,794

-48.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K $21.1K

$31.9K $31.9K

-33.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 $50.5

$67.0 $67.0

-24.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.48 $49.48

$52.1 $52.1

-5.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 $81.5

$102 $102

-19.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 $80.0

$144 $144

-44.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$2,526 $2,526

-35.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 $1,324

$1,578 $1,578

-16.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,519 $2,519

$4,738 $4,738

-46.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,937 $1,937

$2,693 $2,693

-28.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,698 $2,698

$4,190 $4,190

-35.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,344 $2,344

$2,768 $2,768

-15.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,768 $4,768

$4,931 $4,931

-3.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.81

0.15%

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

Last update for Lake Orion, MI: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lake Orion, MI

$1.3K 53.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 19.2% $254

Groceries & Markets

Lake Orion, MI

$354 14.4%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 26.4% $93

Eating Out

Lake Orion, MI

$302 12.3%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 14.2% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lake Orion, MI

$212 8.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 53.6% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Lake Orion, MI

$118 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 39.3% $46

Getting Around

Lake Orion, MI

$80 3.3%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 16% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Lake Orion, MI

$66 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 27% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,618 in Lake Orion, MI versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. 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 3% 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 $69 in Lake Orion, MI versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $447 – making Lake Orion, MI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lake Orion, MI

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

11:08 11:08 AM

10:08 10:08 AM

1 h behind Lake Orion, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,000

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lake Orion, MI Chicago, IL 370 km

From you

Lake Orion, MI
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,456 in Lake Orion, MI, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,683 per month in Lake Orion, MI and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lake Orion, MI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,618 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 26% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Lake Orion, MI and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,456 in Lake Orion, MI and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

If budget matters most, go with Lake Orion, 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.