Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lauderdale, FL and Upper Marlboro, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Upper Marlboro, MD: $2,636 a month against $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fort Lauderdale, FL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

166

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Fort Lauderdale, FL Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Upper Marlboro, MD
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Upper Marlboro, MD Living Index

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Fort Lauderdale, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,414

/mo nomad

Upper Marlboro, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,636

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fort Lauderdale, FL and in Upper Marlboro, MD

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Fort Lauderdale, FL and in Upper Marlboro, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,414 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL vs $2,636 in Upper Marlboro, MD, rent included.

Fort Lauderdale, FL $3,414
Upper Marlboro, MD $2,636

A couple spends around $5,025 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL vs $4,086 in Upper Marlboro, MD, rent included.

Fort Lauderdale, FL $5,025
Upper Marlboro, MD $4,086

A family of three spends $6,636 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL vs $5,535 in Upper Marlboro, MD, rent included.

Fort Lauderdale, FL $6,636
Upper Marlboro, MD $5,535

Fort Lauderdale, FL costs about 29% more than Upper Marlboro, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Fort Lauderdale, FL and Upper Marlboro, MD sit above the global median – Fort Lauderdale, FL by 151%, Upper Marlboro, MD by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.40 $29.40

$22.87 $22.87

28.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 $99.7

$91.6 $91.6

8.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.55 $14.55

$10.18 $10.18

42.93%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$6.25 $6.25

-18.40%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$2.79 $2.79

7.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.63 $2.63

-17.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$9.95 $9.95

-38.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$9.86 $9.86

-29.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.29 $1.29

-20.93%

White Bread (500g)

$5.03 $5.03

$4.51 $4.51

11.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$7.15 $7.15

-47.55%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$5.78 $5.78

-15.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$16.40 $16.40

5.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 $10.33

$16.24 $16.24

-36.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.42 $26.42

$18.67 $18.67

41.51%

Apples (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$5.07 $5.07

27.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.65 $1.65

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$5.14 $5.14

-15.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$5.21 $5.21

2.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.94 $2.94

-1.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.01 $2.01

57.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.07 $2.07

28.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.80 $2.80

-36.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 $9.52

$13.34 $13.34

-28.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 $11.81

$14.75 $14.75

-19.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.70 $1.70

76.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$5.07 $5.07

-58.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.97 $1.97

4.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 $71.0

$64.5 $64.5

10.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.06 $4.06

-1.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.62 $1.62

11.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.92 $23.92

$24.88 $24.88

-3.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.14 $1.14

-10.53%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$27.8K $27.8K

1.92%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.48%

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

$212 $212

$158 $158

33.74%

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

$64.8 $64.8

$82.7 $82.7

-21.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.7 $80.7

$76.7 $76.7

5.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.90 $42.90

$41.18 $41.18

4.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.34 $14.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.92 $17.92

$17.03 $17.03

5.23%

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

$1,026 $1,026

$2,241 $2,241

-54.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.2K $41.2K

$41.3K $41.3K

-0.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.35 $46.35

$47.02 $47.02

-1.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.77 $41.77

$35.91 $35.91

16.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 $87.5

$105 $105

-16.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$119 $119

-2.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,687 $2,687

$1,413 $1,413

90.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 $1,893

$1,160 $1,160

63.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,985 $4,985

$2,465 $2,465

102.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,168 $3,168

$2,180 $2,180

45.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,795 $5,795

$2,741 $2,741

111.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,254 $4,254

$2,336 $2,336

82.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,757 $4,757

$7,979 $7,979

-40.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

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

Last update for Fort Lauderdale, FL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Upper Marlboro, MD: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$1.9K 55.5%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$1.2K 44% 38.7% $733

Groceries & Markets

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$456 13.4%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$481 18.2% 5.5% $25

Eating Out

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$405 11.9%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$380 14.4% 6.3% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$357 10.5%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$318 12.1% 11.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$131 3.9%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$138 5.2% 5.2% $6.8

Getting Around

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$92 2.7%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$85 3.2% 8.3% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$79 2.3%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$75 2.9% 4.4% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,687 in Fort Lauderdale, FL versus $1,413 in Upper Marlboro, MD. 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 68% higher in Upper Marlboro, MD, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Fort Lauderdale, FL versus $92 in Upper Marlboro, MD. Groceries tell a different story – $456 in Fort Lauderdale, FL vs $481 in Upper Marlboro, MD – so Fort Lauderdale, FL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Lauderdale, FL

🇺🇸 Upper Marlboro, MD

🕒 Local time

11:00 11:00 AM

Same time as Fort Lauderdale, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,521

700

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fort Lauderdale, FL Upper Marlboro, MD 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Lauderdale, FL
Upper Marlboro, 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

Fort Lauderdale, FL vs Upper Marlboro, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Lauderdale, FL costs about 29% more than Upper Marlboro, MD, 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 $5,121 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL and $3,955 in Upper Marlboro, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Upper Marlboro, MD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,413 there versus $2,687 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Kindergarten costs $1,026 per month in Fort Lauderdale, FL and $2,241 in Upper Marlboro, MD. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Fort Lauderdale, FL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL and $2,636 in Upper Marlboro, MD. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.