Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and North East, MD Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and North East, MD

😐 Solo nomad: Chicago, IL is 5.8% more expensive than North East, MD without rent, and 12.6% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Chicago, IL is 20% more expensive than North East, MD without rent, and 12.6% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.59 $20.59

$24.88 $24.88

-17.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.0 $99.0

$88.9 $88.9

11.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 $11.90

$11.04 $11.04

7.79%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$5.43 $5.43

7.37%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$2.88 $2.88

4.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.62 $2.62

-5.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 $6.80

$7.93 $7.93

-14.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.98 $8.98

-9.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.19 $1.19

-9.24%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.73 $3.73

8.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$6.75 $6.75

-17.33%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$4.14 $4.14

10.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$19.00 $19.00

-25.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.25 $15.25

$15.21 $15.21

0.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 $18.90

$25.18 $25.18

-24.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$6.87 $6.87

-23.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.85 $1.85

-8.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$5.28 $5.28

-19.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$5.89 $5.89

-22.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$4.13 $4.13

-40.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.28 $3.28

-13.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.24 $2.24

12.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.81 $2.81

-3.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.02 $15.02

$11.87 $11.87

26.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.28 $16.28

$17.24 $17.24

-5.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.96 $1.96

21.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.24 $3.24

9.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.95 $1.95

28.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.87 $2.87

11.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.41 $1.41

0.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.48 $25.48

$24.83 $24.83

2.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$0.81 $0.81

35.80%

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

$31.6K $31.6K

$31.1K $31.1K

1.63%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.5K $25.5K

2.69%

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

$186 $186

$128 $128

45.20%

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

$61.5 $61.5

$44.29 $44.29

38.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 $66.5

$70.5 $70.5

-5.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$43.79 $43.79

77.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.93 $12.93

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 $14.86

$14.72 $14.72

0.95%

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

$2,094 $2,094

$1,934 $1,934

8.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.3K $39.3K

$36.3K $36.3K

8.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 $65.2

$55.4 $55.4

17.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 $50.7

$53.5 $53.5

-5.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.6 $96.6

$91.5 $91.5

5.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$118 $118

21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 $2,309

$1,571 $1,571

46.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$1,378 $1,378

15.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,723 $4,723

$2,614 $2,614

80.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,806 $2,806

$2,247 $2,247

24.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,787 $3,787

$2,703 $2,703

40.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,494 $2,494

$2,188 $2,188

13.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,384 $5,384

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.55

0.76%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: January 12, 2026

Last update for North East, MD: January 11, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Similar cities

Copenhagen

🇩🇰 Denmark

Oslo

🇳🇴 Norway

Dallas, TX

🇺🇸 United States

Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

Portland, OR

🇺🇸 United States

Rotterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

Cork

🇮🇪 Ireland

Philadelphia, PA

🇺🇸 United States