Cost of Living Comparison Between Telford and Houghton, MI Cost of Living Comparison Between Telford and Houghton, MI

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,112 in Telford versus $2,597 in Houghton, MI.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,005 in Telford versus $3,656 in Houghton, MI.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,897 in Telford versus $4,716 in Houghton, MI.

Living in Telford costs roughly 19% less than in Houghton, MI, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Telford 54% above, Houghton, MI 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.20 £14.95

$13.81 $13.81

46.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 £54.8

$39.76 $39.76

86.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 £7.42

$10.70 $10.70

-6.26%

Cappuccino

$4.49 £3.32

$4.09 $4.09

9.78%

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

$2.83 £2.10

$2.77 $2.77

2.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 £0.82

$1.55 $1.55

-28.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 £4.46

$6.05 $6.05

-0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 £4.88

$6.99 $6.99

-5.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.04 $1.04

55.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 £0.72

$4.23 $4.23

-77.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$6.58 $6.58

-79.94%

Eggs

$3.43 £2.54

$4.09 $4.09

-16.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 £5.54

$12.19 $12.19

-38.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 £6.86

$10.57 $10.57

-12.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.01 £8.89

$10.88 $10.88

10.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 £1.79

$5.07 $5.07

-52.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 £1.31

$1.14 $1.14

55.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 £1.86

$4.30 $4.30

-41.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 £2.06

$4.69 $4.69

-40.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.35

$2.78 $2.78

-34.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 £1.48

$2.94 $2.94

-31.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 £0.71

$2.19 $2.19

-56.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 £1.03

$1.53 $1.53

-8.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.41 £15.10

$10.07 $10.07

102.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 £7.40

$15.19 $15.19

-34.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.76 £4.26

$1.92 $1.92

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 £3.98

$3.51 $3.51

53.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.11 £3.04

$2.01 $2.01

104.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$151 £112

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.12 £5.26

$3.04 $3.04

134.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 £3.04

$1.76 $1.76

133.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.73 $29.73

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 £1.48

$0.81 $0.81

146.91%

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

$40.6K £30.0K

$36.7K $36.7K

10.66%

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

$44.8K £33.1K

$25.5K $25.5K

75.64%

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

$287 £212

$273 $273

4.89%

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

$21.76 £16.10

$57.8 $57.8

-62.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 £27.50

$70.6 $70.6

-47.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.54 £35.17

$40.98 $40.98

16.01%

Cinema Ticket

$17.47 £12.93

$13.78 $13.78

26.78%

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

$1,608 £1,190

$1,421 $1,421

13.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K £18.2K

$23.6K $23.6K

4.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 £39.60

$52.5 $52.5

1.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.31 £18.73

$40.32 $40.32

-37.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.5

$86.9 $86.9

18.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 £101

$119 $119

15.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 £638

$1,576 $1,576

-45.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$746 £552

$1,317 $1,317

-43.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 £958

$2,535 $2,535

-48.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 £776

$2,124 $2,124

-50.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,081 £3,019

$1,551 $1,551

163.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,771 £6,489

$1,535 $1,535

471.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,378 £2,499

$2,608 $2,608

29.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

6.12

-13.40%

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

Last update for Telford: August 30, 2026

Last update for Houghton, MI: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $862 in Telford and $1,576 in Houghton, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Telford pays 30% 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 $286 vs $379, with Telford cheaper for home cooking.

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

Telford is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Telford, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $862 in Telford versus $1,576 in Houghton, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Houghton, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,112 per month in Telford versus $2,597 in Houghton, MI – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,112 in Telford versus $2,597 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Telford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Houghton, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.