Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chevy Chase, MD and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chevy Chase, MD outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

174

Cost of Living Index in Chevy Chase, MD
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Chevy Chase, MD Living Index
153

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

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Chevy Chase, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,535

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,535 per month in Chevy Chase, MD vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Chevy Chase, MD $3,535
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,617 per month in Chevy Chase, MD vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Chevy Chase, MD $4,617
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Chevy Chase, MD vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Chevy Chase, MD $5,699
Chicago, IL $6,077

Chevy Chase, MD costs about 11% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chevy Chase, MD and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Chevy Chase, MD by 162%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.84 $23.84

$21.58 $21.58

10.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$88.7 $88.7

13.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 $10.88

$13.20 $13.20

-17.58%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$5.59 $5.59

1.97%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$2.63 $2.63

13.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.26 $2.26

7.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$7.11 $7.11

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.10 $9.10

$9.23 $9.23

-1.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.28 $1.28

-4.69%

White Bread (500g)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.84 $3.84

16.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$5.07 $5.07

7.69%

Eggs

$5.07 $5.07

$4.84 $4.84

4.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.40 $21.40

$14.17 $14.17

51.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.53 $15.53

$14.61 $14.61

6.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.24 $23.24

$18.76 $18.76

23.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$5.19 $5.19

6.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.00 $2.00

-9.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$4.00 $4.00

15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$4.98 $4.98

19.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.79 $2.79

15.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.65 $2.65

42.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.13 $2.13

9.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.09 $3.09

-16.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.42 $10.42

$16.05 $16.05

-35.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.09 $17.09

$15.20 $15.20

12.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.62 $2.62

9.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.46 $3.46

-14.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.47 $2.47

-12.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.21 $3.21

26.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.39 $1.39

-8.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.05 $25.05

$25.02 $25.02

0.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.24 $1.24

-19.35%

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

$34.3K $34.3K

$37.2K $37.2K

-7.86%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.63%

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

$163 $163

$192 $192

-15.37%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$67.8 $67.8

-24.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 $62.5

$60.9 $60.9

2.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.93 $37.93

$53.6 $53.6

-29.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$16.66 $16.66

$17.80 $17.80

-6.40%

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

$1,586 $1,586

$1,554 $1,554

2.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K $20.0K

$31.4K $31.4K

-36.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$67.9 $67.9

-17.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 $63.1

$50.8 $50.8

24.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

-0.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 $166

$143 $143

16.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,555 $2,555

$2,383 $2,383

7.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$1,712 $1,712

23.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,195 $4,195

$4,674 $4,674

-10.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,376 $2,376

$2,738 $2,738

-13.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,777 $2,777

$4,158 $4,158

-33.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,399 $2,399

$2,691 $2,691

-10.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.77

0.30%

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

Last update for Chevy Chase, MD: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chevy Chase, MD

$2.1K 59.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 19% $402

Groceries & Markets

Chevy Chase, MD

$509 14.4%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 11.4% $58

Eating Out

Chevy Chase, MD

$371 10.5%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 4.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chevy Chase, MD

$276 7.8%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 16.2% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Chevy Chase, MD

$174 4.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 5.8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Chevy Chase, MD

$71 2%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 25.2% $18

Getting Around

Chevy Chase, MD

$19 * 0.5%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 398% $76

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,555 in Chevy Chase, MD versus $2,383 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Chevy Chase, MD versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $509 vs $451 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chevy Chase, MD

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

15:30 3:30 PM

1 h behind Chevy Chase, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,000

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

Chevy Chase, MD Chicago, IL 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chevy Chase, 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

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

Chevy Chase, MD costs about 11% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,302 per month in Chevy Chase, MD and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chicago, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD and $3,185 in Chicago, IL. That's a gap of about 11%.

Kindergarten costs $1,586 per month in Chevy Chase, MD and $1,554 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD and $3,185 in Chicago, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chicago, IL costs $3,185 versus $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chevy Chase, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.