Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Severna Park, MD and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Severna Park, MD: $2,727 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Severna Park, MD
Learn more

Severna Park, MD Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Severna Park, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,727 per month in Severna Park, MD vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Severna Park, MD $2,727
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,078 per month in Severna Park, MD vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Severna Park, MD $4,078
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,428 per month in Severna Park, MD vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Severna Park, MD $5,428
Chicago, IL $5,999

Severna Park, MD is about 10% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Severna Park, MD and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Severna Park, MD by 100%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.19 $24.19

$20.71 $20.71

16.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 $96.5

$89.2 $89.2

8.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.16 $11.16

$13.19 $13.19

-15.39%

Cappuccino

$5.71 $5.71

$5.66 $5.66

0.88%

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

$3.42 $3.42

$2.64 $2.64

29.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.28 $2.28

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$6.87 $6.87

17.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.27 $9.27

$8.84 $8.84

4.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.25 $1.25

-4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.53 $4.53

$3.72 $3.72

21.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.39 $5.39

-1.67%

Eggs

$5.31 $5.31

$4.74 $4.74

12.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 $12.94

$13.84 $13.84

-6.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.93 $15.93

$14.40 $14.40

10.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.60 $19.60

$18.38 $18.38

6.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.83 $5.83

$5.22 $5.22

11.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.98 $1.98

-8.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$4.06 $4.06

39.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$4.97 $4.97

17.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.67 $2.67

24.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.66 $2.66

10.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.24 $2.24

5.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.13 $3.13

-17.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.31 $13.31

$13.82 $13.82

-3.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.32 $17.32

$14.88 $14.88

16.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.54 $2.54

0.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.51 $3.51

-17.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.43 $2.43

-27.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.2 $59.2

$73.5 $73.5

-19.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 $1.82

$3.18 $3.18

-42.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.39 $1.39

-4.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.88 $23.88

$25.03 $25.03

-4.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.20 $1.20

-9.17%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-18.31%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-5.12%

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

$165 $165

$194 $194

-15.09%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$69.5 $69.5

-24.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.5 $61.5

$61.6 $61.6

-0.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.10 $40.10

$47.90 $47.90

-16.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$75.3 $75.3

$27.34 $27.34

175.49%

Cinema Ticket

$16.22 $16.22

$17.81 $17.81

-8.93%

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

$1,838 $1,838

$1,794 $1,794

2.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K $34.4K

$31.9K $31.9K

7.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 $51.8

$67.0 $67.0

-22.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.2 $62.2

$52.1 $52.1

19.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 $92.7

$102 $102

-8.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$144 $144

-22.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,535 $1,535

$2,526 $2,526

-39.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$1,578 $1,578

-17.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 $2,557

$4,738 $4,738

-46.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 $2,061

$2,693 $2,693

-23.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,811 $2,811

$4,190 $4,190

-32.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,312 $2,312

$2,768 $2,768

-16.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,006 $5,006

$4,931 $4,931

1.53%

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 Severna Park, MD: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Severna Park, MD

$1.3K 47.7%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 21.2% $276

Groceries & Markets

Severna Park, MD

$478 17.5%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 6.4% $31

Eating Out

Severna Park, MD

$378 13.9%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 8.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Severna Park, MD

$279 10.2%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 16.6% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Severna Park, MD

$143 5.3%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 14.5% $21

Getting Around

Severna Park, MD

$75 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 25% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Severna Park, MD

$73 2.7%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 15.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,535 in Severna Park, 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 $96 in Severna Park, MD versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $478 vs $447 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Severna Park, MD

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

12:07 12:07 PM

11:07 11:07 AM

1 h behind Severna Park, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,634

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

Severna Park, MD Chicago, IL 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Severna Park, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,727 in Severna Park, MD, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,091 per month in Severna Park, 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 Severna Park, MD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,535 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Chicago, IL – 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 $96 in Severna Park, MD and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,727 in Severna Park, 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 $2,727 in Severna Park, MD to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.