Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Chicago, IL: $3,037 a month against $3,247 in Rockville, MD, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rockville, MD outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

157

Cost of Living Index in Rockville, MD
Learn more

Rockville, MD Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Rockville, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,247

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,247 per month in Rockville, MD vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rockville, MD $3,247
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,701 per month in Rockville, MD vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rockville, MD $4,701
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $6,154 per month in Rockville, MD vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Rockville, MD $6,154
Chicago, IL $5,999

Rockville, MD costs about 7% more than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rockville, MD and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Rockville, MD by 139%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.62 $22.62

$20.71 $20.71

9.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$89.2 $89.2

-16.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 $10.19

$13.19 $13.19

-22.74%

Cappuccino

$5.31 $5.31

$5.66 $5.66

-6.18%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$2.64 $2.64

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.28 $2.28

-22.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 $6.63

$6.87 $6.87

-3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.47 $7.47

$8.84 $8.84

-15.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.25 $1.25

-9.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.72 $3.72

-19.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$5.39 $5.39

-50.65%

Eggs

$3.81 $3.81

$4.74 $4.74

-19.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.75 $9.75

$13.84 $13.84

-29.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$14.40 $14.40

-35.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.29 $18.29

$18.38 $18.38

-0.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$5.22 $5.22

-9.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.98 $1.98

-35.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.06 $4.06

7.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$4.97 $4.97

-22.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.67 $2.67

-2.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.66 $2.66

-7.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.24 $2.24

15.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$3.13 $3.13

-42.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.00 $14.00

$13.82 $13.82

1.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 $14.48

$14.88 $14.88

-2.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.54 $2.54

-5.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 $3.76

$3.51 $3.51

7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.43 $2.43

30.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$73.5 $73.5

49.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 $5.05

$3.18 $3.18

58.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.39 $1.39

-20.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.29 $23.29

$25.03 $25.03

-6.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.20 $1.20

-10.83%

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

$34.3K $34.3K

$35.0K $35.0K

-2.19%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.36%

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

$297 $297

$194 $194

52.99%

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

$50.7 $50.7

$69.5 $69.5

-27.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 $60.6

$61.6 $61.6

-1.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.82 $42.82

$47.90 $47.90

-10.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.46 $12.46

$27.34 $27.34

-54.43%

Cinema Ticket

$16.64 $16.64

$17.81 $17.81

-6.57%

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

$1,934 $1,934

$1,794 $1,794

7.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K $27.7K

$31.9K $31.9K

-13.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.01 $46.01

$67.0 $67.0

-31.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.71 $39.71

$52.1 $52.1

-23.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 $88.5

$102 $102

-12.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$144 $144

-7.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,213 $2,213

$2,526 $2,526

-12.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 $1,791

$1,578 $1,578

13.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,763 $3,763

$4,738 $4,738

-20.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,061 $3,061

$2,693 $2,693

13.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,172 $4,172

$4,190 $4,190

-0.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,976 $2,976

$2,768 $2,768

7.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,378 $6,378

$4,931 $4,931

29.36%

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 Rockville, 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

Rockville, MD

$1.8K 55.2%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 11.9% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rockville, MD

$409 12.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 20.4% $83

Groceries & Markets

Rockville, MD

$359 11.1%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 24.6% $88

Eating Out

Rockville, MD

$340 10.5%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 1.4% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Rockville, MD

$138 4.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 18.8% $26

Getting Around

Rockville, MD

$133 4.1%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 30% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Rockville, MD

$76 2.3%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 9.8% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,213 in Rockville, 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 29% higher in Rockville, MD. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Rockville, MD versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 vs $447 – making Rockville, MD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rockville, MD

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

12:07 12:07 PM

11:07 11:07 AM

1 h behind Rockville, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,139

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rockville, MD Chicago, IL 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Rockville, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,247 in Rockville, MD, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,870 per month in Rockville, 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 Rockville, MD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,213 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 20% cheaper in Rockville, MD – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Rockville, MD and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,247 in Rockville, 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 $3,037 in Chicago, IL to $3,247 in Rockville, 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, Rockville, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.