Baltimore City · Maryland
Cost of living in Baltimore, 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
Living in Baltimore, MD costs 4.5% above the national average — an all-items price level of 104.5. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $104,487 here.
- 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. |
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.
The median household in Baltimore earns $58,349. Deflated by the local price level, that is $55,843 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 104.5.
More on Baltimore
Same city, other datasets.
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.