Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in North East, MD: $2,506 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in North East, MD
Learn more

North East, MD Living Index

Jump to prices

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

North East, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,506 in North East, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,139
North East, MD $2,506

A couple spends around $4,627 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,589 in North East, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,627
North East, MD $3,589

A family of three spends $6,115 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,672 in North East, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,115
North East, MD $4,672

Chicago, IL costs about 25% more than North East, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and North East, MD sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 132%, North East, MD by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$15.08 $15.08

36.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 $90.2

$74.6 $74.6

20.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 $12.94

$10.23 $10.23

26.49%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.24 $5.24

6.87%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.33 $2.33

13.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.75 $1.75

29.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$6.90 $6.90

1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$4.47 $4.47

97.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.17 $1.17

8.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.94 $2.94

29.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.68 $2.68

97.76%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$3.82 $3.82

24.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$9.38 $9.38

48.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$9.59 $9.59

52.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$18.48 $18.48

1.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.64 $4.64

11.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.32 $1.32

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.34 $4.34

-9.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.00 $4.00

24.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.56 $2.56

7.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.47 $2.47

11.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.55 $2.55

-12.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.79 $1.79

66.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.02 $14.02

$13.99 $13.99

0.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$14.44 $14.44

5.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.43 $2.43

6.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.64 $3.64

-3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.26 $2.26

9.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 $3.34

$5.03 $5.03

-33.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.12 $1.12

27.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.32 $24.32

$23.07 $23.07

5.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.05 $1.05

20.00%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$33.3K $33.3K

5.28%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.4K $25.4K

2.55%

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

$193 $193

$294 $294

-34.42%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$49.39 $49.39

38.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$60.8 $60.8

0.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$38.46 $38.46

40.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$17.74 $17.74

$16.64 $16.64

6.61%

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

$1,652 $1,652

$1,948 $1,948

-15.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$27.8K $27.8K

11.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$46.28 $46.28

42.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$39.54 $39.54

29.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$86.4 $86.4

15.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$132 $132

7.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,446 $2,446

$1,767 $1,767

38.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,241 $1,241

35.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,717 $4,717

$2,682 $2,682

75.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$1,984 $1,984

40.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,105 $4,105

$2,643 $2,643

55.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$2,189 $2,189

21.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.46

5.42%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for North East, MD: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5%

North East, MD

$1.2K 49.5% 26% $437

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3%

North East, MD

$360 14.4% 20% $90

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9%

North East, MD

$274 10.9% 20.2% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3%

North East, MD

$404 16.1% 25.4% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1%

North East, MD

$137 5.5% 15.2% $25

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

North East, MD

$20 * 0.8% 79.3% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

North East, MD

$72 2.9% 19.9% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,446 in Chicago, IL versus $1,767 in North East, 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 $90.0 in Chicago, IL versus $75.0 in North East, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $360 – making North East, MD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 North East, MD

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

21:24 9:24 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

3,600

💱 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 North East, MD 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,139 in Chicago, IL, $2,506 in North East, MD – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,708 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,760 in North East, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in North East, 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 $75.0 in North East, MD. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,139 in Chicago, IL and $2,506 in North East, 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 $2,506 in North East, MD to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with North East, 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.