Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Severna Park, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Severna Park, MD: $2,727 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
130

Cost of Living Index in Severna Park, MD
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Severna Park, MD Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Severna Park, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,727 in Severna Park, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
Severna Park, MD $2,727

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,078 in Severna Park, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
Severna Park, MD $4,078

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $5,428 in Severna Park, MD, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
Severna Park, MD $5,428

Chicago, IL costs about 11% more than Severna Park, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chicago, IL and Severna Park, MD sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, Severna Park, MD by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$24.19 $24.19

-14.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$96.5 $96.5

-7.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.16 $11.16

18.19%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.71 $5.71

-0.88%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.42 $3.42

-22.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.40 $2.40

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$8.07 $8.07

-14.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$9.27 $9.27

-4.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.20 $1.20

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.53 $4.53

-17.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$5.30 $5.30

1.70%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$5.31 $5.31

-10.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$12.94 $12.94

6.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.93 $15.93

-9.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$19.60 $19.60

-6.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$5.83 $5.83

-10.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.81 $1.81

9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.65 $5.65

-28.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.82 $5.82

-14.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.33 $3.33

-19.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.95 $2.95

-9.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.37 $2.37

-5.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.57 $2.57

21.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$13.31 $13.31

3.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$17.32 $17.32

-14.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.56 $2.56

-0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$2.89 $2.89

21.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.75 $1.75

38.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$59.2 $59.2

24.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.82 $1.82

74.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.33 $1.33

4.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$23.88 $23.88

4.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.09 $1.09

10.09%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.6K $28.6K

22.42%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$25.3K $25.3K

5.40%

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

$194 $194

$165 $165

17.77%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$52.7 $52.7

31.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$61.5 $61.5

0.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$40.10 $40.10

19.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

$75.3 $75.3

-63.70%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$16.22 $16.22

9.80%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,838 $1,838

-2.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$34.4K $34.4K

-7.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$51.8 $51.8

29.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$62.2 $62.2

-16.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$92.7 $92.7

9.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$112 $112

28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$1,535 $1,535

64.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,302 $1,302

21.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$2,557 $2,557

85.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$2,061 $2,061

30.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$2,811 $2,811

49.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,312 $2,312

19.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,006 $5,006

-1.50%

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 Severna Park, MD: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

Severna Park, MD

$1.3K 47.7% 17.5% $276

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

Severna Park, MD

$478 17.5% 6.9% $31

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

Severna Park, MD

$378 13.9% 9.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

Severna Park, MD

$279 10.2% 14.2% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

Severna Park, MD

$143 5.3% 12.6% $21

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

Severna Park, MD

$75 2.7% 20% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

Severna Park, MD

$73 2.7% 13.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $1,535 in Severna Park, 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 $96 in Severna Park, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $478 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 Severna Park, MD

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

17:36 5:36 PM

1 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

37,634

💱 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 Severna Park, MD 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $2,727 in Severna Park, MD – Severna Park, MD comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $4,091 in Severna Park, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Severna Park, MD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,535 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $96 in Severna Park, MD. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,037 in Chicago, IL and $2,727 in Severna Park, 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 $2,727 in Severna Park, MD to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.