Cost of living comparison
compared to
Grand Rapids vs. Detroit Cost of Living Summary
Grand Rapids is 3.9% more expensive than Detroit.
Grand Rapids vs. Detroit Cost Breakdown
If you lived in Grand Rapids instead of Detroit, you would:
pay 3.9% less for restaurants
Detroit | Grand Rapids | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $20.00 | $18.49 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $10.00 | $11.00 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $2.59 | $2.70 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $1.82 | $1.41 | |
Detroit vs. Grand Rapids - Cost of restaurants
pay 7.2% more for groceries
Detroit | Grand Rapids | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $3.38 | $3.13 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $6.06 | $7.68 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $3.58 | $3.41 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $3.58 | $3.46 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $5.25 | $4.33 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $2.08 | $2.23 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $0.55 | $0.74 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $2.65 | $2.53 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $2.80 | $2.83 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $0.98 | $0.97 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.13 | $1.66 | |
Detroit vs. Grand Rapids - Cost of groceries
pay 3.3% more for transportation
Detroit | Grand Rapids | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $3.40 | $3.24 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | $66.00 | $47.00 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $35,699.74 | $34,000.00 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $13.68 | $20.70 | |
Detroit vs. Grand Rapids - Cost of transportation
pay 4.4% more for housing
Detroit | Grand Rapids | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $52.14 | $72.67 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $1,450.00 | $1,691.67 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $1,058.17 | $1,191.67 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $192.03 | $93.79 | |
Detroit vs. Grand Rapids - Cost of housing
pay 0.8% less for childcare
Detroit | Grand Rapids | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $1,294.79 | $950.00 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $16,800.00 | $21,000.00 | |
Detroit vs. Grand Rapids - Cost of childcare
pay 1.3% more for entertainment and sports
Detroit | Grand Rapids | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $6.00 | $6.00 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $4.86 | $4.88 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $10.00 | $9.00 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $43.00 | $40.83 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $12.50 | $15.00 | |
Detroit vs. Grand Rapids - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 15.5% more for clothing
Detroit | Grand Rapids | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $59.08 | $58.91 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $31.00 | $47.50 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $97.00 | $87.02 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $109.00 | $130.00 | |
Detroit vs. Grand Rapids - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2026
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