Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Annapolis, MD and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $3,458 in Annapolis, MD, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Annapolis, MD
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Annapolis, MD Living Index
153

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

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Annapolis, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,458

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,458 in Annapolis, MD versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL.

Annapolis, MD $3,458
Chicago, IL $3,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,748 in Annapolis, MD versus $4,631 in Chicago, IL.

Annapolis, MD $4,748
Chicago, IL $4,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,038 in Annapolis, MD versus $6,077 in Chicago, IL.

Annapolis, MD $6,038
Chicago, IL $6,077

Living in Annapolis, MD is roughly 9% more expensive than in Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Annapolis, MD 156% above, Chicago, IL 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.17 $30.17

$21.58 $21.58

39.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 $80.1

$88.7 $88.7

-9.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 $10.12

$13.20 $13.20

-23.33%

Cappuccino

$5.62 $5.62

$5.59 $5.59

0.54%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$2.63 $2.63

-3.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.26 $2.26

-15.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$7.11 $7.11

-1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.78 $8.78

$9.23 $9.23

-4.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.28 $1.28

-11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.84 $3.84

-22.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$5.07 $5.07

7.89%

Eggs

$6.38 $6.38

$4.84 $4.84

31.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 $9.63

$14.17 $14.17

-32.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.78 $7.78

$14.61 $14.61

-46.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 $15.10

$18.76 $18.76

-19.51%

Apples (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$5.19 $5.19

12.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.00 $2.00

-2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.00 $4.00

14.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.24 $7.24

$4.98 $4.98

45.38%

Potato (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.79 $2.79

53.05%

Onion (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$2.65 $2.65

81.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.13 $2.13

23.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$3.09 $3.09

-47.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.36 $9.36

$16.05 $16.05

-41.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.68 $14.68

$15.20 $15.20

-3.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.62 $2.62

-32.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 $3.84

$3.46 $3.46

10.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.47 $2.47

65.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 $138

$75.1 $75.1

84.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.21 $3.21

-5.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.39 $1.39

13.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.54 $29.54

$25.02 $25.02

18.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.24 $1.24

-25.00%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

$37.2K $37.2K

-16.60%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$25.8K $25.8K

-3.29%

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

$162 $162

$192 $192

-15.86%

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

$53.9 $53.9

$67.8 $67.8

-20.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$96.1 $96.1

$60.9 $60.9

57.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.1 $66.1

$53.6 $53.6

23.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 $12.05

$17.80 $17.80

-32.30%

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

$1,661 $1,661

$1,554 $1,554

6.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K $19.7K

$31.4K $31.4K

-37.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.76 $42.76

$67.9 $67.9

-37.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.53 $24.53

$50.8 $50.8

-51.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 $91.5

$101 $101

-9.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$143 $143

-15.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,092 $2,092

$2,383 $2,383

-12.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,959 $1,959

$1,712 $1,712

14.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,211 $3,211

$4,674 $4,674

-31.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,707 $2,707

$2,738 $2,738

-1.15%

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)

$5,555 $5,555

$4,894 $4,894

13.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

6.77

-10.19%

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

Last update for Annapolis, MD: 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

Annapolis, MD

$2K 56.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 12.6% $247

Eating Out

Annapolis, MD

$410 11.8%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 13.8% $57

Groceries & Markets

Annapolis, MD

$396 11.4%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 14.1% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Annapolis, MD

$312 9%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 3% $9.3

Getting Around

Annapolis, MD

$166 4.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 42.6% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Annapolis, MD

$126 3.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 29.7% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Annapolis, MD

$90 2.6%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 1.1% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,092 in Annapolis, MD and $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Annapolis, MD pays 14% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $80.0 in Annapolis, MD vs $89.0 in Chicago, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $451 per month, with Annapolis, MD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Annapolis, MD

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

17:30 5:30 PM

16:30 4:30 PM

1 h behind Annapolis, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,408

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Annapolis, MD Chicago, IL 990 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Annapolis, MD
Chicago, IL

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

Annapolis, MD vs Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chicago, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Annapolis, MD. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chicago, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Annapolis, MD, 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: $2,092 in Annapolis, MD versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,458 per month in Annapolis, MD versus $3,185 in Chicago, IL – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chicago, IL runs roughly 84% less than in Annapolis, MD. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Chicago, IL is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chicago, IL delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,185 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chicago, IL hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Chicago, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Annapolis, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.