Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,185 a month against $3,394 in College Park, MD, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in College Park, MD outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

163

Cost of Living Index in College Park, MD
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College Park, MD Living Index
153

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

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College Park, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,394

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in College Park, MD and in Chicago, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in College Park, MD and in Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,394 per month in College Park, MD vs $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

College Park, MD $3,394
Chicago, IL $3,185

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in College Park, MD vs $4,631 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

College Park, MD $4,584
Chicago, IL $4,631

A family of three spends $5,774 per month in College Park, MD vs $6,077 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

College Park, MD $5,774
Chicago, IL $6,077

College Park, MD costs about 7% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both College Park, MD and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – College Park, MD by 151%, Chicago, IL by 136%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.76 $15.76

$21.58 $21.58

-26.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 $70.7

$88.7 $88.7

-20.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 $9.84

$13.20 $13.20

-25.45%

Cappuccino

$4.51 $4.51

$5.59 $5.59

-19.32%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$2.63 $2.63

1.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.26 $2.26

-20.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.33 $6.33

$7.11 $7.11

-10.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 $6.03

$9.23 $9.23

-34.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.28 $1.28

-32.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.84 $3.84

-35.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$5.07 $5.07

7.89%

Eggs

$1.98 $1.98

$4.84 $4.84

-59.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$14.17 $14.17

-54.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$14.61 $14.61

-55.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.53 $20.53

$18.76 $18.76

9.43%

Apples (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$5.19 $5.19

29.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.00 $2.00

-36.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.18 $7.18

$4.00 $4.00

79.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$4.98 $4.98

11.85%

Potato (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.79 $2.79

81.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.65 $2.65

24.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.13 $2.13

-53.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.09 $3.09

4.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.25 $9.25

$16.05 $16.05

-42.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 $11.81

$15.20 $15.20

-22.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.62 $2.62

-35.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.46 $3.46

9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.47 $2.47

19.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.21 $3.21

28.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.39 $1.39

48.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.24 $1.24

-24.19%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$37.2K $37.2K

-1.69%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

-3.75%

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

$244 $244

$192 $192

26.97%

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

$49.20 $49.20

$67.8 $67.8

-27.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.0 $68.0

$60.9 $60.9

11.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.30 $39.30

$53.6 $53.6

-26.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

Cinema Ticket

$14.96 $14.96

$17.80 $17.80

-15.96%

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

$2,026 $2,026

$1,554 $1,554

30.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.60 $47.60

$67.9 $67.9

-29.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.13 $33.13

$50.8 $50.8

-34.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$101 $101

16.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$143 $143

-4.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,293 $2,293

$2,383 $2,383

-3.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 $2,136

$1,712 $1,712

24.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,864 $3,864

$4,674 $4,674

-17.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 $3,065

$2,738 $2,738

11.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,294 $6,294

$4,894 $4,894

28.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.23

6.77

-7.98%

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

Last update for College Park, MD: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

College Park, MD

$2.1K 62.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8% 19.9% $424

Groceries & Markets

College Park, MD

$378 11.2%

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2% 19.2% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

College Park, MD

$361 10.7%

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1% 11.2% $40

Eating Out

College Park, MD

$271 8%

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1% 30.1% $82

Clothing & Footwear

College Park, MD

$151 4.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1% 8.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

College Park, MD

$69 2%

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8% 28.8% $20

Getting Around

College Park, MD

$26 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 263% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,293 in College Park, MD versus $2,383 in Chicago, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 29% higher in College Park, MD, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in College Park, MD versus $89.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $451 – making College Park, MD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 College Park, MD

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

12:27 12:27 PM

1 h behind College Park, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,740

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

College Park, MD Chicago, IL 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

College Park, MD
Chicago, IL

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

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

College Park, MD costs about 7% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,091 per month in College Park, MD and $4,777 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chicago, IL, 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 $71.0 in College Park, MD and $89.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in College Park, MD – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,394 in College Park, MD and $3,185 in Chicago, IL. 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 $3,185 in Chicago, IL to $3,394 in College Park, MD. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chicago, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, College Park, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.