Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Malden, MA Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Malden, MA

😐 Solo nomad: Chicago, IL is 6.6% more expensive than Malden, MA without rent, and 10.6% cheaper with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Chicago, IL is 20.2% more expensive than Malden, MA without rent, and 8.8% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chicago, IL
Malden, MA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.82 $20.82
$20.28 $20.28
2.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$100 $100
$66.2 $66.2
51.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.97 $11.97
$12.23 $12.23
-2.13%
Cappuccino
$5.56 $5.56
$4.4 $4.4
26.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$2.22 $2.22
40.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.77 $1.77
36.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.86 $6.86
$6.04 $6.04
13.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.45 $8.45
$6.85 $6.85
23.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chicago, IL
Malden, MA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.25 $1.25
-16.80%
White Bread (500g)
$4.15 $4.15
$3.49 $3.49
18.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$5.87 $5.87
-5.96%
Eggs
$4.65 $4.65
$4.18 $4.18
11.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.33 $14.33
$16.56 $16.56
-13.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.88 $14.88
$13.46 $13.46
10.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.34 $19.34
$19.13 $19.13
1.10%
Apples (1kg)
$5.17 $5.17
$3.86 $3.86
33.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.4 $1.4
22.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.41 $4.41
$3.85 $3.85
14.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$3.91 $3.91
15.35%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 $2.53
$3.28 $3.28
-22.87%
Onion (1kg)
$2.74 $2.74
$2.57 $2.57
6.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.43 $2.43
$2.65 $2.65
-8.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.7 $2.7
$2.3 $2.3
17.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.19 $15.19
$12.81 $12.81
18.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.42 $16.42
$13.47 $13.47
21.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.78 $1.78
32.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.7 $3.7
$5.47 $5.47
-32.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Chicago, IL
Malden, MA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.54 $2.54
-0.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$74.1 $74.1
$89.2 $89.2
-16.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.34 $3.34
$2.59 $2.59
28.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 $1.42
$1.78 $1.78
-20.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.42 $25.42
$27.54 $27.54
-7.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$0.93 $0.93
16.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K $32.4K
$30.6K $30.6K
6.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$25.5K $25.5K
2.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chicago, IL
Malden, MA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$188 $188
$191 $191
-1.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$63.7 $63.7
$54.3 $54.3
17.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.2 $65.2
$66.7 $66.7
-2.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chicago, IL
Malden, MA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.7 $76.7
$34.31 $34.31
123.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.03 $13.03
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.93 $14.93
$15.46 $15.46
-3.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chicago, IL
Malden, MA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,063 $2,063
$1,726 $1,726
19.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.2K $39.2K
$28K $28K
39.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chicago, IL
Malden, MA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 $64.3
$46.77 $46.77
37.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.4 $52.4
$34.65 $34.65
51.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.2 $95.2
$84.6 $84.6
12.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 $145
$148 $148
-2.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chicago, IL
Malden, MA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,378 $2,378
$2,461 $2,461
-3.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,584 $1,584
$1,968 $1,968
-19.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,763 $4,763
$3,437 $3,437
38.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,815 $2,815
$2,745 $2,745
2.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,588 $3,588
$2,413 $2,413
48.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,490 $2,490
$2,644 $2,644
-5.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chicago, IL
Malden, MA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,275 $5,275
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
6.43
2.64%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 29, 2025

Last update for Malden, MA: October 28, 2025

Similar cities

Join the CityCost newsletter – low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.