Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Gaithersburg, MD: $2,884 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Gaithersburg, MD
Learn more

Gaithersburg, MD Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Gaithersburg, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,884

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,884 per month in Gaithersburg, MD vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Gaithersburg, MD $2,884
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,097 per month in Gaithersburg, MD vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Gaithersburg, MD $4,097
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,309 per month in Gaithersburg, MD vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Gaithersburg, MD $5,309
Chicago, IL $5,999

Gaithersburg, MD is about 5% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Gaithersburg, MD and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Gaithersburg, MD by 112%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.62 $19.62

$20.71 $20.71

-5.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

-0.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.85 $6.85

$13.19 $13.19

-48.07%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$5.66 $5.66

2.83%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$2.64 $2.64

4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.28 $2.28

9.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.87 $6.87

16.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.60 $8.60

$8.84 $8.84

-2.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.25 $1.25

-3.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.72 $3.72

17.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$4.74 $4.74

7.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.57 $17.57

$13.84 $13.84

26.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$14.40 $14.40

9.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.04 $19.04

$18.38 $18.38

3.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$5.22 $5.22

-8.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.98 $1.98

-12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$4.06 $4.06

17.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$4.97 $4.97

6.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.67 $2.67

12.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.66 $2.66

-24.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.24 $2.24

-6.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.13 $3.13

-18.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.36 $13.36

$13.82 $13.82

-3.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$14.88 $14.88

-0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.54 $2.54

-30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.51 $3.51

-19.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.18 $3.18

27.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.39 $1.39

-12.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.06 $25.06

$25.03 $25.03

0.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.20 $1.20

-18.33%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.98%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.87%

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

$161 $161

$194 $194

-17.33%

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

$51.1 $51.1

$69.5 $69.5

-26.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$61.6 $61.6

-1.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.27 $32.27

$47.90 $47.90

-32.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$16.91 $16.91

$17.81 $17.81

-5.05%

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

$1,834 $1,834

$1,794 $1,794

2.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$31.9K $31.9K

12.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 $55.1

$67.0 $67.0

-17.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.73 $35.73

$52.1 $52.1

-31.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$102 $102

-1.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$144 $144

-14.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,803 $1,803

$2,526 $2,526

-28.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 $1,606

$1,578 $1,578

1.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 $2,442

$4,738 $4,738

-48.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,354 $2,354

$2,693 $2,693

-12.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,452 $2,452

$4,190 $4,190

-41.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,566 $2,566

$2,768 $2,768

-7.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,307 $5,307

$4,931 $4,931

7.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.81

-0.29%

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

Last update for Gaithersburg, MD: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gaithersburg, MD

$1.6K 55.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 1.7% $28

Groceries & Markets

Gaithersburg, MD

$462 16%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 3.3% $15

Eating Out

Gaithersburg, MD

$325 11.3%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gaithersburg, MD

$273 9.5%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 19.3% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Gaithersburg, MD

$141 4.9%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 16.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Gaithersburg, MD

$66 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 26.4% $17

Getting Around

Gaithersburg, MD

$10 * 0.4%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 819% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,803 in Gaithersburg, MD versus $2,526 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 8% higher in Gaithersburg, 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 $89 in Gaithersburg, MD versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $462 in Gaithersburg, MD vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Gaithersburg, MD

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

20:47 8:47 PM

19:47 7:47 PM

1 h behind Gaithersburg, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

69,657

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gaithersburg, MD Chicago, IL 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Gaithersburg, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,884 in Gaithersburg, MD, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Gaithersburg, MD comes out roughly 5% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,326 per month in Gaithersburg, MD and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gaithersburg, MD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,803 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Kindergarten costs $1,834 per month in Gaithersburg, MD and $1,794 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,884 in Gaithersburg, MD and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. That makes Gaithersburg, MD about 5% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,884 in Gaithersburg, MD to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.