Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Salisbury, MD: $2,285 a month against $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

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

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

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Salisbury, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,285

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,285 per month in Salisbury, MD vs $3,139 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Salisbury, MD $2,285
Chicago, IL $3,139

A couple spends around $3,723 per month in Salisbury, MD vs $4,627 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Salisbury, MD $3,723
Chicago, IL $4,627

A family of three spends $5,161 per month in Salisbury, MD vs $6,115 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Salisbury, MD $5,161
Chicago, IL $6,115

Salisbury, MD is about 27% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Salisbury, MD and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Salisbury, MD by 69%, Chicago, IL by 132%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.36 $22.36

$20.65 $20.65

8.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.0 $96.0

$90.2 $90.2

6.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 $11.69

$12.94 $12.94

-9.66%

Cappuccino

$4.03 $4.03

$5.60 $5.60

-28.04%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$2.64 $2.64

10.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.27 $2.27

-13.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 $6.66

$6.98 $6.98

-4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.74 $8.74

$8.83 $8.83

-1.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.27 $1.27

-33.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 $2.37

$3.80 $3.80

-37.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$5.30 $5.30

-27.74%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$4.76 $4.76

-1.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 $13.31

$13.96 $13.96

-4.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.65 $15.65

$14.61 $14.61

7.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 $13.83

$18.77 $18.77

-26.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$5.19 $5.19

-5.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.98 $1.98

-31.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.93 $3.93

-48.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$4.96 $4.96

-35.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.76 $2.76

-19.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.76 $2.76

-4.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.22 $2.22

-18.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.98 $2.98

-29.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 $8.10

$14.02 $14.02

-42.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 $12.10

$15.28 $15.28

-20.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 $1.41

$2.58 $2.58

-45.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$3.50 $3.50

-58.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.47 $2.47

-21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.31 $49.31

$74.8 $74.8

-34.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.34 $3.34

45.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.43 $1.43

28.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 $30.59

$24.32 $24.32

25.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.26 $1.26

-26.98%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-30.86%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

0.23%

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

$146 $146

$193 $193

-24.27%

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

$39.54 $39.54

$68.3 $68.3

-42.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.92 $24.92

$61.3 $61.3

-59.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 $62.2

$54.1 $54.1

14.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.16 $22.16

$27.92 $27.92

-20.63%

Cinema Ticket

$16.86 $16.86

$17.74 $17.74

-4.96%

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

$1,486 $1,486

$1,652 $1,652

-10.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

$31.1K $31.1K

-67.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 $88.6

$66.1 $66.1

34.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 $56.6

$51.2 $51.2

10.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 $141

$100 $100

41.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 $151

$141 $141

7.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 $1,209

$2,446 $2,446

-50.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 $1,016

$1,678 $1,678

-39.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,453 $2,453

$4,717 $4,717

-48.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,122 $2,122

$2,795 $2,795

-24.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,211 $2,211

$4,105 $4,105

-46.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,242 $2,242

$2,650 $2,650

-15.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,419 $3,419

$4,866 $4,866

-29.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.99

6.81

2.64%

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

Last update for Salisbury, 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

Salisbury, MD

$1K 44.5%

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.5% 65.1% $661

Groceries & Markets

Salisbury, MD

$361 15.8%

Chicago, IL

$449 14.3% 24.4% $88

Eating Out

Salisbury, MD

$333 14.6%

Chicago, IL

$343 10.9% 3.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salisbury, MD

$210 9.2%

Chicago, IL

$322 10.3% 53.2% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Salisbury, MD

$197 8.6%

Chicago, IL

$161 5.1% 18.1% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Salisbury, MD

$96 4.2%

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9% 6.6% $6.3

Getting Around

Salisbury, MD

$71 3.1%

Chicago, IL

$95 3% 33.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,209 in Salisbury, 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 42% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Salisbury, MD versus $90.0 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $361 in Salisbury, MD vs $449 in Chicago, IL – so Salisbury, MD wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salisbury, MD

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

22:37 10:37 PM

21:37 9:37 PM

1 h behind Salisbury, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,480

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Salisbury, MD Chicago, IL 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Salisbury, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,285 in Salisbury, MD, $3,139 in Chicago, IL – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,427 per month in Salisbury, 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 Salisbury, MD, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Salisbury, MD and $90.0 in Chicago, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Salisbury, MD, where all-in costs run around $2,285, than in Chicago, IL at $3,139. In Salisbury, MD it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,285 in Salisbury, MD to $3,139 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Salisbury, 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.