Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Silver Spring, MD and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Silver Spring, MD: $2,701 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Silver Spring, MD
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Silver Spring, MD Living Index
147

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

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Silver Spring, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,701 per month in Silver Spring, MD vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Silver Spring, MD $2,701
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,945 per month in Silver Spring, MD vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Silver Spring, MD $3,945
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,190 per month in Silver Spring, MD vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Silver Spring, MD $5,190
Chicago, IL $5,999

Silver Spring, MD is about 11% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Silver Spring, MD and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Silver Spring, MD by 98%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 $13.30

$20.71 $20.71

-35.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 $89.1

$89.2 $89.2

-0.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 $7.38

$13.19 $13.19

-44.05%

Cappuccino

$5.92 $5.92

$5.66 $5.66

4.59%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$2.64 $2.64

7.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.28 $2.28

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 $7.80

$6.87 $6.87

13.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.41 $8.41

$8.84 $8.84

-4.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.25 $1.25

-4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.72 $3.72

18.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$5.39 $5.39

-1.30%

Eggs

$5.07 $5.07

$4.74 $4.74

6.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.40 $16.40

$13.84 $13.84

18.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.44 $15.44

$14.40 $14.40

7.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.22 $19.22

$18.38 $18.38

4.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$5.22 $5.22

-7.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.98 $1.98

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.06 $4.06

13.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$4.97 $4.97

5.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.67 $2.67

10.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.66 $2.66

-21.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.24 $2.24

-5.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.13 $3.13

-14.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 $9.52

$13.82 $13.82

-31.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$14.88 $14.88

0.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.54 $2.54

-32.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.51 $3.51

-20.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.43 $2.43

60.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.7 $87.7

$73.5 $73.5

19.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.18 $3.18

22.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.39 $1.39

-12.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.20 $1.20

-15.00%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-21.60%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-5.21%

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

$153 $153

$194 $194

-21.43%

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

$48.89 $48.89

$69.5 $69.5

-29.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 $62.0

$61.6 $61.6

0.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.12 $26.12

$47.90 $47.90

-45.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.62 $21.62

$27.34 $27.34

-20.92%

Cinema Ticket

$16.45 $16.45

$17.81 $17.81

-7.64%

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

$1,901 $1,901

$1,794 $1,794

5.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K $35.9K

$31.9K $31.9K

12.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.59 $46.59

$67.0 $67.0

-30.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.93 $36.93

$52.1 $52.1

-29.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$102 $102

-0.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$144 $144

-16.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 $1,884

$2,526 $2,526

-25.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 $1,393

$1,578 $1,578

-11.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,859 $3,859

$4,738 $4,738

-18.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,154 $2,154

$2,693 $2,693

-20.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,239 $4,239

$4,190 $4,190

1.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,104 $3,104

$2,768 $2,768

12.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,138 $5,138

$4,931 $4,931

4.21%

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 Silver Spring, 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

Silver Spring, MD

$1.4K 51.6%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 13.3% $185

Groceries & Markets

Silver Spring, MD

$458 17%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 2.3% $11

Eating Out

Silver Spring, MD

$277 10.2%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 24.7% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Silver Spring, MD

$264 9.8%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 23.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Silver Spring, MD

$137 5.1%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 19.3% $27

Getting Around

Silver Spring, MD

$113 4.2%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 17.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Silver Spring, MD

$59 2.2%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 41.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,884 in Silver Spring, 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 4% higher in Silver Spring, MD, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Silver Spring, MD versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $458 in Silver Spring, MD vs $447 in Chicago, IL – so Chicago, IL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Silver Spring, MD

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

03:00 3:00 AM

1 h behind Silver Spring, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,452

2,746,388

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Silver Spring, MD Chicago, IL 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Silver Spring, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,701 in Silver Spring, MD, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Silver Spring, MD comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,051 per month in Silver Spring, 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 Silver Spring, MD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,884 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Kindergarten costs $1,901 per month in Silver Spring, MD and $1,794 in Chicago, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,701 in Silver Spring, MD and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. That makes Silver Spring, MD about 11% cheaper.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,701 in Silver Spring, 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 $2,701 in Silver Spring, MD to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.