Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Baltimore, MD: $2,603 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Baltimore, MD
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Baltimore, MD Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,603

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in Baltimore, MD

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chicago, IL and in Baltimore, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL versus $2,603 in Baltimore, MD.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Baltimore, MD $2,603

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,518 in Chicago, IL versus $3,940 in Baltimore, MD.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Baltimore, MD $3,940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,999 in Chicago, IL versus $5,277 in Baltimore, MD.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Baltimore, MD $5,277

Living in Chicago, IL is roughly 17% more expensive than in Baltimore, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chicago, IL 123% above, Baltimore, MD 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.89 $17.89

15.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$94.6 $94.6

-5.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.58 $10.58

24.67%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.20 $5.20

8.85%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.45 $3.45

-23.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.60 $2.60

-12.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.92 $6.92

-0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.08 $8.08

9.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.15 $1.15

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.13 $4.13

-9.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$4.25 $4.25

26.82%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.04 $5.04

-5.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.57 $12.57

10.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$12.88 $12.88

11.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.12 $18.12

1.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.90 $5.90

-11.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.54 $1.54

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.66 $5.66

-28.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.80 $4.80

3.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.71 $2.71

-1.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.87 $2.87

-7.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.36 $2.36

-5.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.26 $2.26

38.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$13.27 $13.27

4.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.80 $15.80

-5.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.67 $2.67

-4.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.82 $3.82

-8.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.06 $2.06

17.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$77.6 $77.6

-5.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.76 $1.76

80.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.38 $1.38

0.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$23.89 $23.89

4.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.07 $1.07

12.15%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$34.5K $34.5K

1.50%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.31%

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

$194 $194

$217 $217

-10.52%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$68.1 $68.1

2.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$88.8 $88.8

-30.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$47.25 $47.25

1.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$47.67 $47.67

-42.65%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.95 $14.95

19.13%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,934 $1,934

-7.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-8.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$53.3 $53.3

25.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$62.1 $62.1

-16.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$94.0 $94.0

8.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$111 $111

29.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,735 $1,735

45.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,165 $1,165

35.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,179 $2,179

117.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,026 $2,026

32.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,404 $2,404

74.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,214 $2,214

25.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$4,375 $4,375

12.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.72

1.34%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Baltimore, MD: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Baltimore, MD

$1.2K 44.8% 26.1% $413

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Baltimore, MD

$435 16.7% 2.8% $13

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Baltimore, MD

$312 12% 9.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Baltimore, MD

$374 14.4% 15% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Baltimore, MD

$144 5.6% 12% $20

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Baltimore, MD

$94 3.6% 1.2% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Baltimore, MD

$77 3% 7.6% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $1,735 in Baltimore, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chicago, IL pays 13% 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: $89 in Chicago, IL vs $95 in Baltimore, MD. Groceries flip the comparison at $447 vs $435, with Baltimore, MD cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🕒 Local time

23:21 11:21 PM

00:21 12:21 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

585,708

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Baltimore, MD 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Baltimore, MD

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

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

Baltimore, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Chicago, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baltimore, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Chicago, IL, 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: $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,735 in Baltimore, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Chicago, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chicago, IL – a meal for two runs $89 versus $95 in Baltimore, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Baltimore, MD is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Baltimore, MD wins on affordability, Chicago, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.