Baltimore City · Maryland
Baltimore cost of living (MD)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Baltimore costs 4.5% above the national average — all-items price level 104.5, rank 25 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $104,487 here. Housing is the reason, at 118.2.
- All items
- 104.5US average = 100
- Housing
- 118.218.2% above the national average
- Goods
- 102.42.4% above the national average
- Other services
- 101.51.5% above the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 102.4 | +2.4% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 118.2 | +18.2% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 110.2 | +10.2% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 101.5 | +1.5% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
Reading the Baltimore price level
What the 104.5 figure actually means for a household here.
Baltimore prices sit 4.5% above the US average — an all-items parity of 104.5, rank 25 of 94 covered metros. Moderately above average. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Housing drives it: 118.2, 18.2% above average. Other services pull the other way at 101.5. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 16.7 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Baltimore do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $104,487 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $58,349 median household income in Baltimore is worth $55,843 in national-average dollars, 28.9% below the $78,538 US median. Local pay does not cover the local price level.
Parities are published for Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
What your salary is worth in Baltimore, MD
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (104.5 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $55,843
- Needed to match US average
- $60,967
- Monthly difference
- $218
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$58,349 median household income in Baltimore is worth $55,843 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 104.5.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is Baltimore expensive?
- Yes — 4.5% above the US average, rank 25 of 94 covered metros. housing is the component furthest from average at 118.2.
- What salary do you need to live in Baltimore, MD?
- $104,487 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $58,349, worth $55,843 after adjusting for the 104.5 price level.
- Why is the cost of living high in Baltimore?
- Housing at 118.2 versus other services at 101.5. A 16.7-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More Baltimore data
Other Baltimore datasets on this site.
- Baltimore population and income
- Baltimore sales tax rate
- Baltimore property tax
- Baltimore home values and rent
- Baltimore crime rates
- Baltimore public schools
- Baltimore weather normals
- Baltimore commute times
- Baltimore jobs and wages
Statewide: Maryland cities · Maryland ZIP codes · Maryland sales tax · Maryland counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.