Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Cumberland, MD: $2,420 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Cumberland, MD
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Cumberland, MD Living Index
152

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

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Cumberland, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,420

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,420 per month in Cumberland, MD vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cumberland, MD $2,420
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,405 per month in Cumberland, MD vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cumberland, MD $3,405
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,390 per month in Cumberland, MD vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Cumberland, MD $4,390
Chicago, IL $6,115

Cumberland, MD is about 23% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cumberland, MD and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Cumberland, MD by 79%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.85 $6.85

$20.65 $20.65

-66.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.78 $45.78

$90.2 $90.2

-49.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 $9.86

$12.94 $12.94

-23.80%

Cappuccino

$2.43 $2.43

$5.60 $5.60

-56.61%

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

$1.29 $1.29

$2.64 $2.64

-51.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.27 $2.27

-43.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 $3.05

$6.98 $6.98

-56.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.28 $8.28

$8.83 $8.83

-6.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.27 $1.27

-14.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.80 $3.80

-41.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$5.30 $5.30

-26.60%

Eggs

$7.62 $7.62

$4.76 $4.76

60.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 $8.90

$13.96 $13.96

-36.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.51 $16.51

$14.61 $14.61

13.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 $19.36

$18.77 $18.77

3.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$5.19 $5.19

-14.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.98 $1.98

-15.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.93 $3.93

54.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$4.96 $4.96

9.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.76 $2.76

7.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.76 $2.76

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.22 $2.22

-2.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.98 $2.98

-66.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.20 $7.20

$14.02 $14.02

-48.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 $11.90

$15.28 $15.28

-22.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.58 $2.58

-33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.50 $3.50

-41.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.47 $2.47

-18.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 $6.93

$3.34 $3.34

107.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.43 $1.43

32.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.35 $32.35

$24.32 $24.32

33.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.26 $1.26

-21.43%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-19.71%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

3.04%

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

$298 $298

$193 $193

54.62%

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

$48.95 $48.95

$68.3 $68.3

-28.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 $53.9

$61.3 $61.3

-12.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 $42.03

$54.1 $54.1

-22.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$16.74 $16.74

$17.74 $17.74

-5.64%

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

$610 $610

$1,652 $1,652

-63.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$31.1K $31.1K

-25.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.09 $15.09

$66.1 $66.1

-77.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.06 $35.06

$51.2 $51.2

-31.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.31 $34.31

$100 $100

-65.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.61 $34.61

$141 $141

-75.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 $1,615

$2,446 $2,446

-34.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 $1,310

$1,678 $1,678

-21.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,461 $2,461

$4,717 $4,717

-47.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,138 $2,138

$2,795 $2,795

-23.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,189 $1,189

$4,105 $4,105

-71.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,222 $1,222

$2,650 $2,650

-53.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

6.81

-19.24%

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

Last update for Cumberland, MD: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cumberland, MD

$1.3K 54.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 28.1% $368

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cumberland, MD

$401 16.6%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 19.6% $79

Groceries & Markets

Cumberland, MD

$400 16.5%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 12.3% $49

Eating Out

Cumberland, MD

$156 6.4%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 121% $188

Sport & Entertainment

Cumberland, MD

$76 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 18.7% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Cumberland, MD

$54 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 201% $108

Getting Around

Cumberland, MD

$24 * 1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 289% $71

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,615 in Cumberland, MD versus $2,446 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Cumberland, MD versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $449 – making Cumberland, MD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cumberland, MD

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:07 11:07 PM

22:07 10:07 PM

1 h behind Cumberland, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,076

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cumberland, MD Chicago, IL 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cumberland, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,420 in Cumberland, MD, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 30% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,630 per month in Cumberland, MD and $4,708 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cumberland, 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 $46.00 in Cumberland, MD and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% 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.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cumberland, MD, where all-in costs run around $2,420, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Cumberland, MD it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,420 in Cumberland, MD to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cumberland, 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.