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

🙂 Solo nomad: Pontiac, MI is 5.9% cheaper than Chicago, IL without rent, and 13.3% cheaper with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: Pontiac, MI is 14.3% cheaper than Chicago, IL without rent, and 17.7% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pontiac, MI
Chicago, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.89 $17.89
$20.82 $20.82
-14.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.3 $71.3
$100 $100
-28.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.87 $10.87
$11.97 $11.97
-9.19%
Cappuccino
$4.82 $4.82
$5.56 $5.56
-13.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.51 $2.51
$3.11 $3.11
-19.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 $1.62
$2.42 $2.42
-33.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.18 $6.18
$6.86 $6.86
-9.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.84 $6.84
$8.45 $8.45
-19.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pontiac, MI
Chicago, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.9 $0.9
$1.04 $1.04
-13.46%
White Bread (500g)
$3.49 $3.49
$4.15 $4.15
-15.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.8 $4.8
$5.52 $5.52
-13.04%
Eggs
$3.26 $3.26
$4.65 $4.65
-29.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.38 $15.38
$14.33 $14.33
7.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.17 $12.17
$14.88 $14.88
-18.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.86 $14.86
$19.34 $19.34
-23.16%
Apples (1kg)
$6.75 $6.75
$5.17 $5.17
30.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 $1.36
$1.71 $1.71
-20.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.13 $6.13
$4.41 $4.41
39.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.8 $5.8
$4.51 $4.51
28.60%
Potato (1kg)
$2.17 $2.17
$2.53 $2.53
-14.23%
Onion (1kg)
$3.95 $3.95
$2.74 $2.74
44.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 $2.43
$2.43 $2.43
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.81 $2.81
$2.7 $2.7
4.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.15 $9.15
$15.19 $15.19
-39.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.16 $14.16
$16.42 $16.42
-13.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.83 $1.83
$2.35 $2.35
-22.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 $3.67
$3.7 $3.7
-0.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Pontiac, MI
Chicago, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.03 $2.03
$2.53 $2.53
-19.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.66 $49.66
$74.1 $74.1
-33.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.74 $4.74
$3.34 $3.34
41.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.38 $1.38
$1.42 $1.42
-2.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.69 $27.69
$25.42 $25.42
8.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 $0.84
$1.08 $1.08
-22.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.7K $24.7K
$32.4K $32.4K
-23.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.2K $22.2K
$26.2K $26.2K
-15.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pontiac, MI
Chicago, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$119 $119
$188 $188
-36.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$45.13 $45.13
$63.7 $63.7
-29.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.1 $60.1
$65.2 $65.2
-7.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pontiac, MI
Chicago, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.65 $42.65
$76.7 $76.7
-44.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.88 $11.88
$13.03 $13.03
-8.83%
Cinema Ticket
$10.9 $10.9
$14.93 $14.93
-26.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pontiac, MI
Chicago, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$941 $941
$2,063 $2,063
-54.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.3K $21.3K
$39.2K $39.2K
-45.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pontiac, MI
Chicago, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.9 $63.9
$64.3 $64.3
-0.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.72 $40.72
$52.4 $52.4
-22.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.5 $99.5
$95.2 $95.2
4.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$137 $137
$145 $145
-5.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pontiac, MI
Chicago, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,622 $1,622
$2,378 $2,378
-31.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,375 $1,375
$1,584 $1,584
-13.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,630 $2,630
$4,763 $4,763
-44.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,260 $2,260
$2,815 $2,815
-19.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,752 $2,752
$3,588 $3,588
-23.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,402 $2,402
$2,490 $2,490
-3.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pontiac, MI
Chicago, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,984 $1,984
$5,275 $5,275
-62.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.51
6.6
-1.36%

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

Last update for Pontiac, MI: October 27, 2025

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 29, 2025

Similar cities

Join the CityCost newsletter – low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.