Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Marquette, MI: $2,125 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Marquette, MI
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Marquette, MI Living Index
147

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

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Marquette, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,125

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,125 per month in Marquette, MI vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Marquette, MI $2,125
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,339 per month in Marquette, MI vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Marquette, MI $3,339
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,552 per month in Marquette, MI vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Marquette, MI $4,552
Chicago, IL $5,999

Marquette, MI is about 30% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Marquette, MI and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Marquette, MI by 56%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 $16.86

$20.71 $20.71

-18.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.5 $56.5

$89.2 $89.2

-36.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 $10.19

$13.19 $13.19

-22.74%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$5.66 $5.66

8.83%

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

$2.51 $2.51

$2.64 $2.64

-4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.28 $2.28

-32.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.41 $5.41

$6.87 $6.87

-21.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 $6.79

$8.84 $8.84

-23.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.25 $1.25

-19.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.72 $3.72

13.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$5.39 $5.39

-30.80%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.74 $4.74

-12.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 $11.92

$13.84 $13.84

-13.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.40 $8.40

$14.40 $14.40

-41.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 $17.14

$18.38 $18.38

-6.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$5.22 $5.22

-19.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.98 $1.98

19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.06 $4.06

7.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$4.97 $4.97

-7.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.67 $2.67

6.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.66 $2.66

-4.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.24 $2.24

-3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.13 $3.13

-37.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 $10.13

$13.82 $13.82

-26.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.96 $14.96

$14.88 $14.88

0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.54 $2.54

-24.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$3.51 $3.51

-53.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.43 $2.43

-25.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 $60.8

$73.5 $73.5

-17.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.18 $3.18

10.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.39 $1.39

13.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 $31.39

$25.03 $25.03

25.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.20 $1.20

-17.50%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-26.11%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

-10.13%

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

$183 $183

$194 $194

-5.90%

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

$58.7 $58.7

$69.5 $69.5

-15.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.47 $44.47

$61.6 $61.6

-27.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 $39.45

$47.90 $47.90

-17.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 $10.18

$17.81 $17.81

-42.84%

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

$1,319 $1,319

$1,794 $1,794

-26.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

$31.9K $31.9K

-29.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 $52.9

$67.0 $67.0

-21.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.40 $40.40

$52.1 $52.1

-22.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 $90.2

$102 $102

-11.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 $129

$144 $144

-10.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 $1,298

$2,526 $2,526

-48.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$886 $886

$1,578 $1,578

-43.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,393 $2,393

$4,738 $4,738

-49.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,868 $1,868

$2,693 $2,693

-30.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,466 $2,466

$4,190 $4,190

-41.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,438 $2,438

$2,768 $2,768

-11.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.81

-3.52%

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

Last update for Marquette, 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

Marquette, MI

$886 41.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 78.2% $692

Groceries & Markets

Marquette, MI

$377 17.8%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 18.5% $70

Eating Out

Marquette, MI

$296 13.9%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 16.4% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marquette, MI

$286 13.5%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 13.8% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Marquette, MI

$140 6.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 16.8% $24

Getting Around

Marquette, MI

$80 3.7%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 17.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Marquette, MI

$60 2.8%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 39.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,298 in Marquette, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Marquette, MI versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $377 vs $447 – making Marquette, MI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Marquette, MI

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

12:36 12:36 PM

1 h behind Marquette, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,488

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Marquette, MI Chicago, IL 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Marquette, MI
Chicago, IL

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,125 in Marquette, MI, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Marquette, MI comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,188 per month in Marquette, 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 Marquette, MI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,298 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Marquette, MI and $89 in Chicago, IL. 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 Marquette, MI, where all-in costs run around $2,125, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Marquette, MI it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Marquette, MI is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.