Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Telford and Houghton, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Telford: $2,057 a month against $2,736 in Houghton, MI, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Houghton, MI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Telford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,057
/mo nomad
Houghton, MI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,736
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Telford and in Houghton, MI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,057 in Telford versus $2,736 in Houghton, MI.

  • Telford $2,057
  • Houghton, MI $2,736

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,957 in Telford versus $3,593 in Houghton, MI.

  • Telford $2,957
  • Houghton, MI $3,593

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,857 in Telford versus $4,449 in Houghton, MI.

  • Telford $3,857
  • Houghton, MI $4,449

Living in Telford costs roughly 25% less than in Houghton, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Telford 52% above, Houghton, MI 102% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Telford
Houghton, MI
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.11 £15.09
$13.78 $13.78
45.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.8 £55.4
$39.55 $39.55
86.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.75 £7.32
$10.37 $10.37
-5.98%
Cappuccino
$4.21 £3.16
$4.13 $4.13
1.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 £2.03
$2.78 $2.78
-2.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.07 £0.80
$1.62 $1.62
-33.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.98 £4.48
$5.94 $5.94
0.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.64 £4.98
$7.38 $7.38
-10.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Telford
Houghton, MI
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.60 £1.20
$1.00 $1.00
60.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 £0.77
$4.18 $4.18
-75.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.33 £1.00
$6.34 $6.34
-79.02%
Eggs
$3.28 £2.46
$3.94 $3.94
-16.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.28 £5.46
$12.31 $12.31
-40.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.30 £6.98
$10.79 $10.79
-13.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.77 £8.83
$10.97 $10.97
7.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.43 £1.82
$5.09 $5.09
-52.26%
Banana (1kg)
$1.81 £1.36
$1.18 $1.18
53.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.50 £1.88
$4.25 $4.25
-41.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.73 £2.05
$4.77 $4.77
-42.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 £1.40
$2.80 $2.80
-33.57%
Onion (1kg)
$2.03 £1.52
$3.01 $3.01
-32.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.97 £0.72
$2.21 $2.21
-56.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 £1.01
$1.47 $1.47
-8.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$19.87 £14.91
$10.18 $10.18
95.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.14 £7.60
$14.99 $14.99
-32.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.71 £4.29
$1.95 $1.95
192.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.33 £4.00
$3.28 $3.28
62.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Telford
Houghton, MI
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.08 £3.06
$2.03 $2.03
100.99%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$152 £114
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.99 £5.24
$3.02 $3.02
131.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.97 £2.98
$1.49 $1.49
166.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$29.22 $29.22
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 £1.39
$0.81 $0.81
129.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.1K £30.1K
$25.1K $25.1K
59.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.3K £33.3K
$25.4K $25.4K
74.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Telford
Houghton, MI
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$280 £210
$280 $280
-0.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.76 £16.33
$57.6 $57.6
-62.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.29 £26.48
$69.1 $69.1
-48.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Telford
Houghton, MI
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.31 £35.49
$36.96 $36.96
28.00%
Cinema Ticket
$17.21 £12.91
$14.18 $14.18
21.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Telford
Houghton, MI
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,570 £1,178
$1,249 $1,249
25.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.5K £17.6K
$22.9K $22.9K
2.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Telford
Houghton, MI
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.1 £39.84
$53.7 $53.7
-1.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.38 £19.04
$41.58 $41.58
-38.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.3 £74.5
$87.0 $87.0
14.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$135 £101
$108 $108
24.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Telford
Houghton, MI
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$845 £634
$1,833 $1,833
-53.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$720 £540
$1,484 $1,484
-51.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,243 £932
$2,318 $2,318
-46.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,011 £758
$1,967 $1,967
-48.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,015 £3,012
$1,546 $1,546
159.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,592 £6,446
$1,550 $1,550
454.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Telford
Houghton, MI
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,283 £2,463
$2,603 $2,603
26.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.3
6.57
-19.33%

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

Last update for Telford: October 18, 2026

Last update for Houghton, MI: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Telford
$720
Houghton, MI
$1.5K 106% $764
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Telford
$337
Houghton, MI
$407 20.8% $70
Eating Out
Telford
$299
Houghton, MI
$253 15.4% $46
Groceries & Markets
Telford
$284
Houghton, MI
$377 32.8% $93
Getting Around
Telford
$195
Houghton, MI
$19 * 90.5% $176
Clothing & Footwear
Telford
$141
Houghton, MI
$131 7% $9.8
Sport & Entertainment
Telford
$82
Houghton, MI
$65 20.1% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $845 in Telford and $1,833 in Houghton, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Telford pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Telford vs $40.00 in Houghton, MI. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $377, with Telford cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Telford
🇺🇸 Houghton, MI
🕒 Local time
19:50 7:50 PM
14:50 2:50 PM
5 h behind Telford
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
180,000
8,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Telford Houghton, MI 5,820 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Telford
  • Houghton, MI

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
Telford vs Houghton, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Houghton, MI cheaper than Telford?
Telford is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and utilities. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Telford or Houghton, MI?
Average pay runs 26% higher in Telford, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Telford and Houghton, MI?
Rent for a central apartment: $845 in Telford versus $1,833 in Houghton, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Telford and in Houghton, MI?
Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Houghton, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Telford and in Houghton, MI?
All in, you'll spend $2,057 per month in Telford versus $2,736 in Houghton, MI – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Telford or in Houghton, MI?
At $2,057 in Telford versus $2,736 in Houghton, MI, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Telford but tight or insufficient in Houghton, MI. The gap between the two cities makes Telford the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Telford or in Houghton, MI?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Telford or Houghton, MI?
Safety-wise, Telford and Houghton, MI are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Telford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Houghton, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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