Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Parkville, MD: $2,529 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Parkville, MD
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Parkville, MD Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Parkville, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,529 in Parkville, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Parkville, MD $2,529

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,998 in Parkville, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Parkville, MD $3,998

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,468 in Parkville, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Parkville, MD $5,468

Chicago, IL costs about 20% more than Parkville, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chicago, IL and Parkville, MD sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Parkville, MD by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$17.93 $17.93

15.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$97.4 $97.4

-8.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$10.52 $10.52

25.38%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.13 $5.13

10.33%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.97 $2.97

-11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.68 $2.68

-14.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.21 $7.21

-4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.93 $7.93

11.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.21 $1.21

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.27 $4.27

-12.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.81 $3.81

41.47%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.52 $4.52

4.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$16.95 $16.95

-18.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.35 $15.35

-6.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$18.79 $18.79

-2.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.89 $5.89

-11.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.58 $1.58

25.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.12 $4.12

-1.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.26 $4.26

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.21 $2.21

20.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.65 $2.65

0.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.35 $2.35

-4.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.25 $2.25

39.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$13.25 $13.25

4.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.52 $15.52

-4.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.76 $1.76

44.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.25 $3.25

8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.21 $2.21

9.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$60.6 $60.6

21.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.83 $1.83

73.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.34 $1.34

3.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$24.19 $24.19

3.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.07 $1.07

12.15%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$23.1K $23.1K

51.60%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$23.7K $23.7K

12.54%

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

$194 $194

$203 $203

-4.37%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$39.74 $39.74

74.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$79.2 $79.2

-22.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$43.21 $43.21

10.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.76 $14.76

20.66%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,944 $1,944

-7.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$35.3K $35.3K

-9.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$52.2 $52.2

28.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$56.3 $56.3

-7.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$91.7 $91.7

10.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$113 $113

27.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,487 $1,487

69.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,161 $1,161

35.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,749 $2,749

72.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,355 $2,355

14.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,462 $2,462

70.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,633 $2,633

5.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

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 25, 2026

Last update for Parkville, MD: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Parkville, MD

$1.2K 45.9% 26.4% $417

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Parkville, MD

$444 17.5% 0.9% $3.8

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Parkville, MD

$311 12.3% 9.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Parkville, MD

$322 12.7% 1% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Parkville, MD

$141 5.6% 14.1% $23

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Parkville, MD

$78 3.1% 16.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Parkville, MD

$73 2.9% 12.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,487 in Parkville, 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 $89 in Chicago, IL versus $97 in Parkville, MD. Groceries tell a different story – $447 in Chicago, IL vs $444 in Parkville, MD – so Parkville, MD wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Parkville, MD

🕒 Local time

20:05 8:05 PM

21:05 9:05 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

30,734

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Parkville, MD 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,529 in Parkville, MD – Parkville, MD comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,794 in Parkville, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Parkville, MD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,487 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $97 in Parkville, MD. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Parkville, MD. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,529 in Parkville, 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 $2,529 in Parkville, MD to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.