Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Plymouth, MI: $2,507 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Plymouth, MI
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Plymouth, MI Living Index
152

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

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Plymouth, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,507

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,507 per month in Plymouth, MI vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Plymouth, MI $2,507
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,844 per month in Plymouth, MI vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Plymouth, MI $3,844
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,182 per month in Plymouth, MI vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Plymouth, MI $5,182
Chicago, IL $6,115

Plymouth, MI is about 20% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Plymouth, MI and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Plymouth, MI by 85%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.69 $12.69

$20.65 $20.65

-38.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$90.2 $90.2

-18.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 $8.10

$12.94 $12.94

-37.40%

Cappuccino

$5.52 $5.52

$5.60 $5.60

-1.43%

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

$2.02 $2.02

$2.64 $2.64

-23.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.27 $2.27

-55.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$6.98 $6.98

-28.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$8.83 $8.83

-53.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.27 $1.27

-34.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.80 $3.80

-24.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$5.30 $5.30

-15.09%

Eggs

$2.83 $2.83

$4.76 $4.76

-40.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 $11.10

$13.96 $13.96

-20.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.50 $17.50

$14.61 $14.61

19.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.41 $34.41

$18.77 $18.77

83.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$5.19 $5.19

-35.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.98 $1.98

-20.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.63 $6.63

$3.93 $3.93

68.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$4.96 $4.96

-28.63%

Potato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$2.76 $2.76

104.71%

Onion (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$2.76 $2.76

108.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.22 $2.22

-5.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.98 $2.98

-22.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$14.02 $14.02

-29.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.85 $18.85

$15.28 $15.28

23.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.58 $2.58

-7.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.50 $3.50

42.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.47 $2.47

-17.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.34 $3.34

-5.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.43 $1.43

119.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.82 $9.82

$24.32 $24.32

-59.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.26 $1.26

-20.63%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-12.52%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.1K $26.1K

-2.84%

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

$235 $235

$193 $193

21.76%

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

$63.7 $63.7

$68.3 $68.3

-6.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 $52.2

$61.3 $61.3

-14.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.66 $40.66

$54.1 $54.1

-24.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$12.29 $12.29

$17.74 $17.74

-30.72%

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

$659 $659

$1,652 $1,652

-60.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$31.1K $31.1K

-18.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 $54.9

$66.1 $66.1

-16.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.14 $49.14

$51.2 $51.2

-4.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 $82.8

$100 $100

-17.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$141 $141

-15.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 $1,574

$2,446 $2,446

-35.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 $1,204

$1,678 $1,678

-28.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,374 $2,374

$4,717 $4,717

-49.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,301 $2,301

$2,795 $2,795

-17.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,752 $2,752

$4,105 $4,105

-32.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,336 $2,336

$2,650 $2,650

-11.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,777 $4,777

$4,866 $4,866

-1.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.81

-3.67%

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

Last update for Plymouth, MI: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Plymouth, MI

$1.2K 48%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 39.3% $474

Groceries & Markets

Plymouth, MI

$485 19.3%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 7.3% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plymouth, MI

$351 14%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 8.1% $28

Eating Out

Plymouth, MI

$237 9.5%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 44.8% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Plymouth, MI

$138 5.5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 17% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Plymouth, MI

$65 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 37.3% $24

Getting Around

Plymouth, MI

$27 * 1.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 252% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,574 in Plymouth, MI versus $2,446 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 2% 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 $74.0 in Plymouth, MI versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $485 in Plymouth, MI vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Plymouth, MI

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

01:02 1:02 AM

1 h behind Plymouth, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,217

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Plymouth, MI Chicago, IL 350 km

From you

Plymouth, MI
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,507 in Plymouth, MI, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,760 per month in Plymouth, MI and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Plymouth, 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 $74.0 in Plymouth, MI and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,507 in Plymouth, MI and $3,139 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,507 in Plymouth, MI to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Plymouth, 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.