Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Ellicott City, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,488 in Ellicott City, MD, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ellicott City, MD outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Ellicott City, MD
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Ellicott City, MD Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Ellicott City, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,488 in Ellicott City, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Ellicott City, MD $3,488

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,646 in Ellicott City, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Ellicott City, MD $4,646

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,804 in Ellicott City, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Ellicott City, MD $5,804

Chicago, IL is about 13% cheaper than Ellicott City, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Chicago, IL and Ellicott City, MD sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Ellicott City, MD by 156%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$18.21 $18.21

13.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$95.6 $95.6

-6.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.87 $10.87

21.34%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.40 $5.40

4.81%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.35 $3.35

-21.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.63 $2.63

-13.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.97 $6.97

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.07 $8.07

9.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.17 $1.17

6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.11 $4.11

-9.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.81 $3.81

41.47%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.58 $4.58

3.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.91 $16.91

-18.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$13.00 $13.00

10.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.52 $18.52

-0.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$6.17 $6.17

-15.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.59 $1.59

24.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.13 $4.13

-1.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.08 $4.08

21.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.23 $2.23

19.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.67 $2.67

-0.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.35 $2.35

-4.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.23 $2.23

40.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$13.49 $13.49

2.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.37 $15.37

-3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.68 $2.68

-5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.14 $3.14

11.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.78 $1.78

78.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.34 $1.34

3.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$24.13 $24.13

3.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.94 $0.94

27.66%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$23.1K $23.1K

51.94%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$24.1K $24.1K

10.63%

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

$194 $194

$208 $208

-6.66%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$49.91 $49.91

39.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$79.9 $79.9

-22.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$112 $112

-57.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.57 $14.57

22.24%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,921 $1,921

-6.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$34.9K $34.9K

-8.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$52.5 $52.5

27.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$56.7 $56.7

-8.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$93.5 $93.5

8.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$112 $112

28.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$2,498 $2,498

1.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$2,107 $2,107

-25.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$3,056 $3,056

55.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,695 $2,695

-0.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,635 $2,635

5.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,000 $5,000

-1.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.79

0.29%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ellicott City, MD: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Ellicott City, MD

$2.1K 60.4% 33.5% $529

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Ellicott City, MD

$433 12.4% 3.1% $14

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Ellicott City, MD

$318 9.1% 7.8% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Ellicott City, MD

$338 9.7% 3.9% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Ellicott City, MD

$142 4.1% 13.7% $22

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Ellicott City, MD

$8.5 * 0.2% 90.9% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Ellicott City, MD

$141 4% 68.8% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $2,498 in Ellicott City, 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 in Chicago, IL versus $96 in Ellicott City, MD. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $433 in Ellicott City, MD – so Ellicott City, MD wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Ellicott City, MD

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

21:23 9:23 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

65,834

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Ellicott City, MD 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
Ellicott City, 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 Ellicott City, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $3,488 in Ellicott City, MD – Chicago, IL comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $5,232 in Ellicott City, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,526 in Chicago, IL and $2,498 in Ellicott City, MD. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $96 in Ellicott City, MD. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Ellicott City, MD – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $3,488 in Ellicott City, MD. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,488 in Ellicott City, MD. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.