Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Upper Marlboro, MD and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Upper Marlboro, MD: $2,636 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chicago, IL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

127

Cost of Living Index in Upper Marlboro, MD
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Upper Marlboro, MD Living Index
147

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

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Upper Marlboro, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,636

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,636 per month in Upper Marlboro, MD vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Upper Marlboro, MD $2,636
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $4,086 per month in Upper Marlboro, MD vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Upper Marlboro, MD $4,086
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $5,535 per month in Upper Marlboro, MD vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Upper Marlboro, MD $5,535
Chicago, IL $5,999

Upper Marlboro, MD is about 13% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Upper Marlboro, MD and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Upper Marlboro, MD by 94%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.87 $22.87

$20.71 $20.71

10.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.6 $91.6

$89.2 $89.2

2.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 $10.18

$13.19 $13.19

-22.82%

Cappuccino

$6.25 $6.25

$5.66 $5.66

10.42%

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

$2.79 $2.79

$2.64 $2.64

5.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.28 $2.28

15.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.95 $9.95

$6.87 $6.87

44.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$8.84 $8.84

11.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.25 $1.25

3.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.72 $3.72

21.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.15 $7.15

$5.39 $5.39

32.65%

Eggs

$5.78 $5.78

$4.74 $4.74

21.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.40 $16.40

$13.84 $13.84

18.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.24 $16.24

$14.40 $14.40

12.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.67 $18.67

$18.38 $18.38

1.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$5.22 $5.22

-2.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.98 $1.98

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.06 $4.06

26.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$4.97 $4.97

4.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.67 $2.67

10.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.66 $2.66

-24.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.24 $2.24

-7.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.13 $3.13

-10.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.34 $13.34

$13.82 $13.82

-3.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$14.88 $14.88

-0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.54 $2.54

-33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.51 $3.51

44.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.43 $2.43

-18.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$73.5 $73.5

-12.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.18 $3.18

27.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.39 $1.39

16.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.88 $24.88

$25.03 $25.03

-0.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.20 $1.20

-5.00%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$35.0K $35.0K

-20.70%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.64%

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

$158 $158

$194 $194

-18.54%

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

$82.7 $82.7

$69.5 $69.5

19.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 $76.7

$61.6 $61.6

24.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.18 $41.18

$47.90 $47.90

-14.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.03 $17.03

$17.81 $17.81

-4.38%

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

$2,241 $2,241

$1,794 $1,794

24.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.3K $41.3K

$31.9K $31.9K

29.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.02 $47.02

$67.0 $67.0

-29.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.91 $35.91

$52.1 $52.1

-31.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$102 $102

3.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$144 $144

-17.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 $1,413

$2,526 $2,526

-44.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 $1,160

$1,578 $1,578

-26.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,465 $2,465

$4,738 $4,738

-47.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 $2,180

$2,693 $2,693

-19.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 $2,741

$4,190 $4,190

-34.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,336 $2,336

$2,768 $2,768

-15.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,979 $7,979

$4,931 $4,931

61.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.81

-2.64%

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

Last update for Upper Marlboro, 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

Upper Marlboro, MD

$1.2K 44%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 36% $418

Groceries & Markets

Upper Marlboro, MD

$481 18.2%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 7% $34

Eating Out

Upper Marlboro, MD

$380 14.4%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 9.2% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Upper Marlboro, MD

$318 12.1%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 2.5% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

Upper Marlboro, MD

$138 5.2%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 18.7% $26

Getting Around

Upper Marlboro, MD

$85 3.2%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 10.4% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Upper Marlboro, MD

$75 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 11% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,413 in Upper Marlboro, 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 62% higher in Upper Marlboro, 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 $92 in Upper Marlboro, MD versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $481 vs $447 – making Chicago, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Upper Marlboro, MD

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

18:59 6:59 PM

17:59 5:59 PM

1 h behind Upper Marlboro, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

700

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

Upper Marlboro, MD Chicago, IL 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Upper Marlboro, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,636 in Upper Marlboro, MD, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – Upper Marlboro, MD comes out roughly 13% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,955 per month in Upper Marlboro, 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 Upper Marlboro, MD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,413 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Chicago, IL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92 in Upper Marlboro, 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 $2,636 in Upper Marlboro, 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 $2,636 in Upper Marlboro, MD to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.