Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North East, MD and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in North East, MD: $2,506 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in North East, MD
Learn more

North East, MD Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

North East, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,506

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,506 per month in North East, MD vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

North East, MD $2,506
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,589 per month in North East, MD vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

North East, MD $3,589
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $4,672 per month in North East, MD vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

North East, MD $4,672
Chicago, IL $6,115

North East, MD is about 20% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both North East, MD and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – North East, MD by 85%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.08 $15.08

$20.65 $20.65

-26.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$90.2 $90.2

-17.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.23 $10.23

$12.94 $12.94

-20.94%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$5.60 $5.60

-6.43%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$2.64 $2.64

-11.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.27 $2.27

-22.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 $6.90

$6.98 $6.98

-1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 $4.47

$8.83 $8.83

-49.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.27 $1.27

-7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.80 $3.80

-22.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$5.30 $5.30

-49.43%

Eggs

$3.82 $3.82

$4.76 $4.76

-19.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 $9.38

$13.96 $13.96

-32.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.59 $9.59

$14.61 $14.61

-34.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.48 $18.48

$18.77 $18.77

-1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$5.19 $5.19

-10.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.98 $1.98

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.93 $3.93

10.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.96 $4.96

-19.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.76 $2.76

-7.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.76 $2.76

-10.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.22 $2.22

14.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.98 $2.98

-39.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.99 $13.99

$14.02 $14.02

-0.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 $14.44

$15.28 $15.28

-5.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.58 $2.58

-5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.50 $3.50

4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.47 $2.47

-8.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.8 $74.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.34 $3.34

50.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.43 $1.43

-21.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.07 $23.07

$24.32 $24.32

-5.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.26 $1.26

-16.67%

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

$33.3K $33.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-5.02%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.1K $26.1K

-2.48%

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

$294 $294

$193 $193

52.50%

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

$49.39 $49.39

$68.3 $68.3

-27.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 $60.8

$61.3 $61.3

-0.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.46 $38.46

$54.1 $54.1

-28.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.92 $27.92

Cinema Ticket

$16.64 $16.64

$17.74 $17.74

-6.20%

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

$1,948 $1,948

$1,652 $1,652

17.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K $27.8K

$31.1K $31.1K

-10.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 $46.28

$66.1 $66.1

-29.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.54 $39.54

$51.2 $51.2

-22.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$100 $100

-13.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$141 $141

-6.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 $1,767

$2,446 $2,446

-27.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 $1,241

$1,678 $1,678

-26.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$4,717 $4,717

-43.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 $1,984

$2,795 $2,795

-29.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,643 $2,643

$4,105 $4,105

-35.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,189 $2,189

$2,650 $2,650

-17.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,866 $4,866

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.81

-5.14%

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

Last update for North East, MD: October 18, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

North East, MD

$1.2K 49.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 35.2% $437

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North East, MD

$404 16.1%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 20.2% $82

Groceries & Markets

North East, MD

$360 14.4%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 24.9% $90

Eating Out

North East, MD

$274 10.9%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 25.4% $70

Clothing & Footwear

North East, MD

$137 5.5%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 18% $25

Sport & Entertainment

North East, MD

$72 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 24.9% $18

Getting Around

North East, MD

$20 * 0.8%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 384% $75

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,767 in North East, 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 $75.0 in North East, MD versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $360 vs $449 – making North East, MD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 North East, MD

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

15:25 3:25 PM

14:25 2:25 PM

1 h behind North East, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,600

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

North East, MD Chicago, IL 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

North East, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,506 in North East, MD, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,760 per month in North East, 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 North East, 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 $75.0 in North East, 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 25% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,506 in North East, 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 $2,506 in North East, MD to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with North East, 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.