Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Parkville, MD: $2,529 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Parkville, MD
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Parkville, MD Living Index
147

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

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Parkville, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,529

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,529 per month in Parkville, MD vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Parkville, MD $2,529
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,998 per month in Parkville, MD vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Parkville, MD $3,998
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,468 per month in Parkville, MD vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Parkville, MD $5,468
Chicago, IL $5,999

Parkville, MD is about 17% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Parkville, MD and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Parkville, MD by 86%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.93 $17.93

$20.71 $20.71

-13.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 $97.4

$89.2 $89.2

9.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 $10.52

$13.19 $13.19

-20.24%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$5.66 $5.66

-9.36%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$2.64 $2.64

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.28 $2.28

17.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.21 $7.21

$6.87 $6.87

4.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$8.84 $8.84

-10.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.25 $1.25

-3.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.27 $4.27

$3.72 $3.72

14.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$5.39 $5.39

-29.31%

Eggs

$4.52 $4.52

$4.74 $4.74

-4.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.95 $16.95

$13.84 $13.84

22.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.35 $15.35

$14.40 $14.40

6.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.79 $18.79

$18.38 $18.38

2.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$5.22 $5.22

12.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.98 $1.98

-20.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$4.06 $4.06

1.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$4.97 $4.97

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.67 $2.67

-17.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.66 $2.66

-0.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.24 $2.24

4.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$3.13 $3.13

-28.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.25 $13.25

$13.82 $13.82

-4.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.52 $15.52

$14.88 $14.88

4.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.54 $2.54

-30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.51 $3.51

-7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.43 $2.43

-9.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 $60.6

$73.5 $73.5

-17.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 $1.83

$3.18 $3.18

-42.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.39 $1.39

-3.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.19 $24.19

$25.03 $25.03

-3.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.20 $1.20

-10.83%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$35.0K $35.0K

-34.04%

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

$23.7K $23.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

-11.14%

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

$203 $203

$194 $194

4.57%

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

$39.74 $39.74

$69.5 $69.5

-42.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.2 $79.2

$61.6 $61.6

28.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.21 $43.21

$47.90 $47.90

-9.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 $14.76

$17.81 $17.81

-17.13%

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

$1,944 $1,944

$1,794 $1,794

8.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K $35.3K

$31.9K $31.9K

10.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 $52.2

$67.0 $67.0

-22.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 $56.3

$52.1 $52.1

7.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 $91.7

$102 $102

-9.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$144 $144

-21.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,487 $1,487

$2,526 $2,526

-41.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 $1,161

$1,578 $1,578

-26.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 $2,749

$4,738 $4,738

-41.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,355 $2,355

$2,693 $2,693

-12.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,462 $2,462

$4,190 $4,190

-41.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,633 $2,633

$2,768 $2,768

-4.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.81

-1.32%

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

Last update for Parkville, MD: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Parkville, MD

$1.2K 45.9%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 35.9% $417

Groceries & Markets

Parkville, MD

$444 17.5%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 0.9% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Parkville, MD

$322 12.7%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 1% $3.3

Eating Out

Parkville, MD

$311 12.3%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 10.9% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Parkville, MD

$141 5.6%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 16.5% $23

Getting Around

Parkville, MD

$78 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 19.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Parkville, MD

$73 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 14.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,487 in Parkville, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97 in Parkville, MD versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $444 in Parkville, MD vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Parkville, MD wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Parkville, MD

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

18:49 6:49 PM

1 h behind Parkville, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,734

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Parkville, MD Chicago, IL 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Parkville, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,529 in Parkville, MD, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Parkville, MD comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,794 per month in Parkville, 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 Parkville, MD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,487 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97 in Parkville, MD and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Parkville, MD. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,529 in Parkville, MD and $3,037 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 $2,529 in Parkville, MD to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.