Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Traverse City, MI and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Traverse City, MI: $2,666 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Traverse City, MI
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Traverse City, MI Living Index
152

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

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Traverse City, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,666

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,666 per month in Traverse City, MI vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Traverse City, MI $2,666
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,947 per month in Traverse City, MI vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Traverse City, MI $3,947
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,228 per month in Traverse City, MI vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Traverse City, MI $5,228
Chicago, IL $6,115

Traverse City, MI is about 15% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Traverse City, MI and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Traverse City, MI by 97%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.49 $21.49

$20.65 $20.65

4.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 $77.4

$90.2 $90.2

-14.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.34 $11.34

$12.94 $12.94

-12.36%

Cappuccino

$4.78 $4.78

$5.60 $5.60

-14.64%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$2.64 $2.64

-6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.27 $2.27

-8.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$6.98 $6.98

-29.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 $6.53

$8.83 $8.83

-26.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.27 $1.27

-42.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.80 $3.80

-19.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$5.30 $5.30

-17.74%

Eggs

$2.67 $2.67

$4.76 $4.76

-43.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.14 $19.14

$13.96 $13.96

37.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.34 $12.34

$14.61 $14.61

-15.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.33 $22.33

$18.77 $18.77

18.97%

Apples (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$5.19 $5.19

31.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.98 $1.98

-27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.93 $3.93

-2.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.96 $4.96

34.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.76 $2.76

-2.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.76 $2.76

14.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.22 $2.22

6.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.98 $2.98

-11.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.96 $5.96

$14.02 $14.02

-57.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$15.28 $15.28

-1.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.58 $2.58

-22.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 $7.01

$3.50 $3.50

100.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.47 $2.47

143.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.60 $30.60

$74.8 $74.8

-59.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.26 $1.26

-19.05%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

-0.01%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.27%

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

$116 $116

$193 $193

-39.78%

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

$37.85 $37.85

$68.3 $68.3

-44.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$61.3 $61.3

12.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 $62.7

$54.1 $54.1

15.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 $9.81

$17.74 $17.74

-44.70%

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

$1,017 $1,017

$1,652 $1,652

-38.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K $11.3K

$31.1K $31.1K

-63.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 $58.2

$66.1 $66.1

-11.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.93 $40.93

$51.2 $51.2

-20.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$100 $100

0.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.4 $87.4

$141 $141

-38.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,958 $1,958

$2,446 $2,446

-19.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 $1,404

$1,678 $1,678

-16.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,796 $3,796

$4,717 $4,717

-19.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,317 $2,317

$2,795 $2,795

-17.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,395 $3,395

$4,105 $4,105

-17.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,324 $3,324

$2,650 $2,650

25.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,796 $2,796

$4,866 $4,866

-42.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

6.81

-7.20%

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

Last update for Traverse City, MI: October 20, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Traverse City, MI

$1.4K 52.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 19.5% $274

Groceries & Markets

Traverse City, MI

$453 17%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 0.9% $4

Eating Out

Traverse City, MI

$319 12%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 7.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Traverse City, MI

$223 8.4%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 44.7% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Traverse City, MI

$129 4.9%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 24.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Traverse City, MI

$82 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 8.9% $7.3

Getting Around

Traverse City, MI

$55 * 2.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 74% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,958 in Traverse City, 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 74% 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 $77.0 in Traverse City, MI versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $453 in Traverse City, MI vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Traverse City, MI

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

08:10 8:10 AM

1 h behind Traverse City, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,678

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Traverse City, MI Chicago, IL 360 km

From you

Traverse City, MI
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,666 in Traverse City, MI, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,998 per month in Traverse City, 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 Traverse City, MI, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Traverse City, MI and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,666 in Traverse City, 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 $2,666 in Traverse City, MI to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Traverse City, 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.