Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
174

Cost of Living Index in Chevy Chase, MD
Learn more

Chevy Chase, MD Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Chevy Chase, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,535

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chicago, IL is about 10% cheaper than Chevy Chase, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$23.84 $23.84

-9.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$100 $100

-11.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$10.88 $10.88

21.32%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.70 $5.70

-1.93%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.99 $2.99

-12.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.44 $2.44

-7.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$7.90 $7.90

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$9.10 $9.10

1.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.22 $1.22

4.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$4.46 $4.46

-13.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$5.46 $5.46

-7.14%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$5.07 $5.07

-4.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$21.40 $21.40

-33.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$15.53 $15.53

-5.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$23.24 $23.24

-19.28%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.54 $5.54

-6.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.82 $1.82

9.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.60 $4.60

-13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.95 $5.95

-16.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.21 $3.21

-13.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.78 $3.78

-29.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.34 $2.34

-8.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.57 $2.57

20.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$10.42 $10.42

54.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$17.09 $17.09

-11.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.86 $2.86

-8.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.95 $2.95

17.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.17 $2.17

13.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$4.07 $4.07

-21.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.27 $1.27

9.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$25.05 $25.05

-0.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.00 $1.00

24.00%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$34.3K $34.3K

8.53%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.66%

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

$192 $192

$163 $163

18.16%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$51.0 $51.0

32.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$62.5 $62.5

-2.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$37.93 $37.93

41.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$16.66 $16.66

6.84%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$1,586 $1,586

-1.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$20.0K $20.0K

56.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$55.7 $55.7

21.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$63.1 $63.1

-19.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

0.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$166 $166

-13.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$2,555 $2,555

-6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$2,114 $2,114

-19.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$4,195 $4,195

11.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$2,376 $2,376

15.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$2,777 $2,777

49.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$2,399 $2,399

12.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.79

-0.29%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Chevy Chase, MD

$2.1K 59.8% 23.5% $402

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Chevy Chase, MD

$509 14.4% 12.8% $58

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Chevy Chase, MD

$371 10.5% 5.2% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Chevy Chase, MD

$276 7.8% 13.9% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Chevy Chase, MD

$174 4.9% 6.2% $10

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Chevy Chase, MD

$19 * 0.5% 79.9% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Chevy Chase, MD

$71 2% 20.1% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $2,555 in Chevy Chase, MD. 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 $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $100 in Chevy Chase, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $509 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Chevy Chase, MD

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

17:14 5:14 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

3,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Chicago, IL
Chevy Chase, 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 Chevy Chase, MD: 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 $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $5,302 in Chevy Chase, MD. 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 $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD. That's a gap of about 11%.

Kindergarten costs $1,554 per month in Chicago, IL and $1,586 in Chevy Chase, MD. 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 $3,185 in Chicago, IL and $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD. 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.