Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Hagerstown, MD: $2,498 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Hagerstown, MD
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Hagerstown, MD Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Hagerstown, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,498 in Hagerstown, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Hagerstown, MD $2,498

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,658 in Hagerstown, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Hagerstown, MD $3,658

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,819 in Hagerstown, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Hagerstown, MD $4,819

Chicago, IL costs about 28% more than Hagerstown, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Hagerstown, MD sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Hagerstown, MD by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$14.81 $14.81

39.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$75.6 $75.6

19.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.03 $11.03

17.32%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.01 $6.01

-6.82%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.14 $2.14

23.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.36 $2.36

-3.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.65 $6.65

4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$8.68 $8.68

1.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.85 $0.85

49.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.91 $3.91

-2.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.46 $4.46

18.83%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.70 $3.70

28.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$7.15 $7.15

95.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.48 $13.48

8.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$22.92 $22.92

-18.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.45 $4.45

16.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.12 $1.12

76.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.99 $3.99

-1.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.64 $2.64

87.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.41 $2.41

14.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.87 $3.87

-28.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.29 $2.29

-3.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.46 $2.46

21.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$9.68 $9.68

44.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.91 $14.91

2.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.74 $2.74

-5.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.85 $2.85

22.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

$58.9 $58.9

26.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.03 $4.03

-17.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.20 $1.20

19.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$25.42 $25.42

-4.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.87 $0.87

44.83%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.6K $28.6K

22.35%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$24.2K $24.2K

7.74%

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

$193 $193

$163 $163

18.16%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$50.7 $50.7

34.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$62.8 $62.8

-2.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$50.9 $50.9

6.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

$17.64 $17.64

58.28%

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$10.11 $10.11

75.47%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,622 $1,622

1.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$10.2K $10.2K

204.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$54.4 $54.4

21.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$19.76 $19.76

159.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$96.4 $96.4

3.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$161 $161

-12.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,390 $1,390

76.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,240 $1,240

35.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$1,941 $1,941

143.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,991 $1,991

40.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$1,990 $1,990

106.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,014 $2,014

31.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$5,353 $5,353

-9.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.49

4.93%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hagerstown, MD: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Hagerstown, MD

$1.2K 49.7% 26.1% $437

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Hagerstown, MD

$399 16% 11.3% $51

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Hagerstown, MD

$292 11.7% 14.9% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Hagerstown, MD

$277 11.1% 14.2% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Hagerstown, MD

$149 6% 7.3% $12

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Hagerstown, MD

$69 * 2.8% 27.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Hagerstown, MD

$71 2.9% 20.6% $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 $1,390 in Hagerstown, MD. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Hagerstown, MD, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $76.0 in Hagerstown, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $399 – making Hagerstown, MD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Hagerstown, MD

🕒 Local time

05:28 5:28 AM

06:28 6:28 AM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

39,008

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Hagerstown, MD 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $2,498 in Hagerstown, MD – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,747 in Hagerstown, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 13% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $76.0 in Hagerstown, MD. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Hagerstown, MD, where all-in costs run around $2,498, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Hagerstown, MD it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,498 in Hagerstown, MD to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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