Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Germantown, MD and in Chicago, IL: $3,140 and $3,139 a month, rent and utilities included.

151

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

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

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Germantown, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,140

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,140 per month in Germantown, MD vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Germantown, MD $3,140
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $4,618 per month in Germantown, MD vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Germantown, MD $4,618
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $6,097 per month in Germantown, MD vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Germantown, MD $6,097
Chicago, IL $6,115

Germantown, MD and Chicago, IL have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.28 $16.28

$20.65 $20.65

-21.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$90.2 $90.2

-12.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 $11.72

$12.94 $12.94

-9.43%

Cappuccino

$5.23 $5.23

$5.60 $5.60

-6.61%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$2.64 $2.64

17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.27 $2.27

-13.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$6.98 $6.98

-14.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 $6.95

$8.83 $8.83

-21.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.27 $1.27

-40.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.80 $3.80

-13.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.71 $6.71

$5.30 $5.30

26.60%

Eggs

$3.07 $3.07

$4.76 $4.76

-35.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.18 $12.18

$13.96 $13.96

-12.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 $9.94

$14.61 $14.61

-31.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 $16.83

$18.77 $18.77

-10.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$5.19 $5.19

8.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.98 $1.98

-22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.93 $3.93

29.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$4.96 $4.96

3.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.76 $2.76

-17.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.76 $2.76

10.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.22 $2.22

-12.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.98 $2.98

-33.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.13 $9.13

$14.02 $14.02

-34.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$15.28 $15.28

-3.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.58 $2.58

-7.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.50 $3.50

-12.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.47 $2.47

4.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.0 $87.0

$74.8 $74.8

16.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.34 $3.34

-21.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.43 $1.43

10.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.31 $22.31

$24.32 $24.32

-8.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.26 $1.26

-26.98%

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

$31.6K $31.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-9.69%

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

$23.6K $23.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

-9.60%

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

$213 $213

$193 $193

10.49%

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

$50.9 $50.9

$68.3 $68.3

-25.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 $64.6

$61.3 $61.3

5.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.88 $24.88

$54.1 $54.1

-54.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$15.35 $15.35

$17.74 $17.74

-13.47%

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

$1,351 $1,351

$1,652 $1,652

-18.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.8K $42.8K

$31.1K $31.1K

37.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.27 $45.27

$66.1 $66.1

-31.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.48 $39.48

$51.2 $51.2

-22.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 $90.2

$100 $100

-9.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$141 $141

-0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 $2,210

$2,446 $2,446

-9.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 $1,823

$1,678 $1,678

8.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,997 $3,997

$4,717 $4,717

-15.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,203 $3,203

$2,795 $2,795

14.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,922 $5,922

$4,105 $4,105

44.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,380 $2,380

$2,650 $2,650

-10.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,237 $5,237

$4,866 $4,866

7.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.81

-2.79%

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

Last update for Germantown, MD: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Germantown, MD

$1.8K 58.1%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 8% $145

Groceries & Markets

Germantown, MD

$391 12.5%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 14.9% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Germantown, MD

$328 10.5%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 1.9% $6.2

Eating Out

Germantown, MD

$292 9.3%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 17.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Germantown, MD

$142 4.5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 13.8% $20

Getting Around

Germantown, MD

$108 3.4%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 11.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Germantown, MD

$56 1.8%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 61.2% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,210 in Germantown, 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.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Germantown, MD. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Germantown, MD versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $449 – making Germantown, MD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Germantown, MD

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

1 h behind Germantown, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

86,395

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Germantown, 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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,710 per month in Germantown, 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 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 $79.0 in Germantown, MD and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Chicago, IL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,140 in Germantown, MD and $3,139 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 $3,139 in Chicago, IL to $3,140 in Germantown, 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, Germantown, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.