Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Saginaw, MI: $1,952 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Saginaw, MI
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Saginaw, MI Living Index
153

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

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Saginaw, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,952

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,952 per month in Saginaw, MI vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saginaw, MI $1,952
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $3,154 per month in Saginaw, MI vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saginaw, MI $3,154
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $4,356 per month in Saginaw, MI vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Saginaw, MI $4,356
Chicago, IL $6,077

Saginaw, MI is about 39% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Saginaw, MI and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Saginaw, MI by 45%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.66 $19.66

$21.58 $21.58

-8.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 $64.7

$88.7 $88.7

-27.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$13.20 $13.20

-25.23%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$5.59 $5.59

-4.29%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$2.63 $2.63

-18.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.26 $2.26

-32.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$7.11 $7.11

-28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 $5.02

$9.23 $9.23

-45.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.28 $1.28

-27.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.84 $3.84

-14.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$5.07 $5.07

-20.12%

Eggs

$3.32 $3.32

$4.84 $4.84

-31.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 $10.92

$14.17 $14.17

-22.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 $9.96

$14.61 $14.61

-31.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.97 $15.97

$18.76 $18.76

-14.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$5.19 $5.19

-36.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.00 $2.00

-28.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.00 $4.00

13.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$4.98 $4.98

-26.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.79 $2.79

-3.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.65 $2.65

-23.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.13 $2.13

19.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$3.09 $3.09

-25.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 $10.17

$16.05 $16.05

-36.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 $13.26

$15.20 $15.20

-12.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.62 $2.62

-26.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.46 $3.46

-8.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.47 $2.47

-40.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.83 $39.83

$75.1 $75.1

-46.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.21 $3.21

-24.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.39 $1.39

84.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.72 $40.72

$25.02 $25.02

62.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.24 $1.24

-17.74%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.2K $37.2K

-3.30%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.8K $25.8K

1.19%

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

$178 $178

$192 $192

-7.57%

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

$24.96 $24.96

$67.8 $67.8

-63.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.93 $39.93

$60.9 $60.9

-34.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$12.07 $12.07

$17.80 $17.80

-32.19%

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

$1,694 $1,694

$1,554 $1,554

9.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K $14.2K

$31.4K $31.4K

-54.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.84 $45.84

$67.9 $67.9

-32.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 $39.27

$50.8 $50.8

-22.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.3 $73.3

$101 $101

-27.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.1 $78.1

$143 $143

-45.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$854 $854

$2,383 $2,383

-64.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 $861

$1,712 $1,712

-49.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 $1,323

$4,674 $4,674

-71.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 $1,934

$2,738 $2,738

-29.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.77

-3.84%

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

Last update for Saginaw, MI: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saginaw, MI

$861 44.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 98.7% $851

Groceries & Markets

Saginaw, MI

$356 18.2%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 26.8% $95

Eating Out

Saginaw, MI

$301 15.4%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 17.2% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saginaw, MI

$243 12.4%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 32.3% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Saginaw, MI

$106 5.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 53.6% $57

Getting Around

Saginaw, MI

$61 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 56.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Saginaw, MI

$24 * 1.2%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 269% $65

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $854 in Saginaw, MI versus $2,383 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 $65.0 in Saginaw, MI versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $451 – making Saginaw, MI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saginaw, MI

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

03:22 3:22 AM

02:22 2:22 AM

1 h behind Saginaw, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,202

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Saginaw, MI Chicago, IL 350 km

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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,952 in Saginaw, MI, $3,185 in Chicago, IL – roughly 63% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,929 per month in Saginaw, MI and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saginaw, MI, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% 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 $65.0 in Saginaw, MI and $89.0 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 Saginaw, MI, where all-in costs run around $1,952, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Saginaw, MI it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,952 in Saginaw, MI to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Saginaw, 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.