Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Laurel, MD: $2,538 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Laurel, MD
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Laurel, MD Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Laurel, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,538 in Laurel, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
Laurel, MD $2,538

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,254 in Laurel, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
Laurel, MD $4,254

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,969 in Laurel, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
Laurel, MD $5,969

Chicago, IL costs about 24% more than Laurel, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chicago, IL and Laurel, MD sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, Laurel, MD by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$18.12 $18.12

13.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$94.9 $94.9

-4.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.82 $10.82

19.59%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.53 $5.53

1.27%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.07 $3.07

-14.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.71 $2.71

-16.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.82 $6.82

2.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$7.80 $7.80

13.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.15 $1.15

10.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.94 $3.94

-3.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.88 $3.88

36.60%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.71 $4.71

1.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$12.86 $12.86

8.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.10 $13.10

11.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$18.67 $18.67

0.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$6.12 $6.12

-15.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.52 $1.52

30.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.09 $4.09

-3.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.26 $4.26

16.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.17 $2.17

27.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.77 $2.77

-0.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.49 $2.49

-10.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.54 $2.54

17.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$13.44 $13.44

4.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.90 $15.90

-3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.71 $1.71

50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.18 $3.18

10.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.83 $1.83

82.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.38 $1.38

3.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$23.67 $23.67

2.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.04 $1.04

21.15%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$23.0K $23.0K

52.03%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$23.8K $23.8K

9.72%

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

$193 $193

$203 $203

-4.86%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$67.7 $67.7

0.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$90.5 $90.5

-32.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$14.46 $14.46

22.68%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,933 $1,933

-14.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$35.2K $35.2K

-11.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$52.3 $52.3

26.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$57.3 $57.3

-10.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$91.4 $91.4

9.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$113 $113

24.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,352 $1,352

80.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,260 $1,260

33.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,399 $2,399

96.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$3,073 $3,073

-9.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,215 $2,215

85.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,568 $2,568

3.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

$5,478 $5,478

-11.17%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Laurel, MD: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

Laurel, MD

$1.3K 49.7% 24.9% $418

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

Laurel, MD

$422 16.6% 6.1% $28

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

Laurel, MD

$317 12.5% 7.8% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

Laurel, MD

$361 14.2% 12% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

Laurel, MD

$141 5.6% 12.3% $20

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Laurel, MD

$8.8 * 0.3% 90.8% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Laurel, MD

$29 * 1.1% 67.7% $61

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,352 in Laurel, 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 13% higher in Laurel, 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $95.0 in Laurel, MD. Groceries tell a different story – $449 in Chicago, IL vs $422 in Laurel, MD – so Laurel, MD wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Laurel, MD

🕒 Local time

18:48 6:48 PM

19:48 7:48 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

18,540

💱 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 Laurel, MD 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,538 in Laurel, MD – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,807 in Laurel, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Chicago, IL and $95.0 in Laurel, MD. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% 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 $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Laurel, MD, where all-in costs run around $2,538, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Laurel, 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 $2,538 in Laurel, MD to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Laurel, 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.