Overall
104.5
Above avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
Cost-of-living indicators for Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 104.5
- Overall RPP
- #33
- of 387 metros
- 118.2
- Rents RPP
- $96K
- $100K national buys
Baltimore ranks #33 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has held steady since 2008.
- stable since 2008
- similar cost to New Haven
The verdict
Baltimore is more expensive than 91% of U.S. metros, an overall cost index of 104.5, 4.5% above the national average, led by rents at 118.2.
- top 9%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 102.4
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 110.2
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $95,706 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $104,487.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has remained relatively stable, changing by only 1.9 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2010, when the index dropped 3.3 points from the year before, a bigger swing than the full 2008-2024 change.
Baltimore overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 106.4 |
| 2009 | 109.4 |
| 2010 | 106.1 |
| 2011 | 108.8 |
| 2012 | 106.5 |
| 2013 | 106.8 |
| 2014 | 105.7 |
| 2015 | 106.0 |
| 2016 | 106.1 |
| 2017 | 107.6 |
| 2018 | 105.3 |
| 2019 | 103.9 |
| 2020 | 105.4 |
| 2021 | 104.9 |
| 2022 | 102.4 |
| 2023 | 103.2 |
| 2024 | 104.5 |
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Baltimore's overall RPP rose +1.3 points, from 103.2 in 2023 to 104.5 in 2024. The largest category movement was rents, changing from 116.8 to 118.2. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$104,487
in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$52,244
$75,000 nationally
$78,365
$125,000 nationally
$130,609
$150,000 nationally
$156,731
$200,000 nationally
$208,974
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
F
11/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability F
11th percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
Housing-led cost profile
How Baltimore's cost structure works
Housing is the defining pressure in Baltimore: rents index at 118.2, the furthest component above the national benchmark. The overall index of 104.5 places Baltimore in the top quartile for cost; the rent line explains why a similar headline RPP can still require a different housing budget.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Corvallis, OR, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD. They resemble Baltimore across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Baltimore's overall index has stayed within 1.9 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
Baltimore vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
105 Top 9% higher than 91% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Baltimore cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
118.2 RPP
- Services
Services
110.2 RPP
- Overall
Overall
104.5 RPP
- Goods
Goods
102.4 RPP
What this shows Baltimore's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 118.2 depart furthest from 100, while services sits at 110.2. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where Baltimore's cost comes from
Metros near Baltimore's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Read the chart as text
- Baltimore (Baltimore, this metro): goods RPP 102.4, rents RPP 118.2
- New Haven: goods RPP 97.3, rents RPP 124.3
- Yuba City: goods RPP 105.2, rents RPP 108.3
- Minneapolis: goods RPP 103.1, rents RPP 111.8
- Modesto: goods RPP 105.2, rents RPP 108.5
- Corvallis: goods RPP 105.3, rents RPP 114.4
- Stockton: goods RPP 105.2, rents RPP 115.6
Price Index Summary
Goods
102.4
Above avg
Services
110.2
Expensive
Rents
118.2
Expensive
MD-relative analysis
Goods prices places Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD toward the top of MD's metros
Among the 4 MD metros PlainCost tracks with reported goods prices data, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ranks #1 - the 75th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#1 of 4
75th percentile in MD
Services prices
#1 of 4
75th percentile in MD
Rent prices
#1 of 4
75th percentile in MD
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within MD only, not a livability score.
Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: nearest metros by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the in-state metro list below.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest metros by overall regional price parity (104.5 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (118.2 here).
Other MD Metros
View all MD metros → Cheapest in MD → Most expensive in MD →
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD's index of 104.5.
Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Baltimore's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Corvallis, OR
Goods 105.3 · Services 108.6 · Rents 114.4 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Goods 105.2 · Services 107.0 · Rents 125.1 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Goods 96.8 · Services 114.4 · Rents 113.1 Anchorage, AK
Goods 107.3 · Services 111.8 · Rents 109.9 Salem, OR
Goods 105.3 · Services 104.7 · Rents 110.3 Bend, OR
Goods 105.3 · Services 105.0 · Rents 110.0
Shareable data card
Take this cost snapshot with you
Download the data card or share this exact metro record. The card uses the same BEA-derived values shown above.
Compare to Other Metros
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
What this means for Baltimore
How to read Baltimore's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $95,706 in Baltimore. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 118.2, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Baltimore head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 104.5, meaning it is 4.5% more expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 102.4, services at 110.2, and rents at 118.2. It ranks #33 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $104,487 in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD. Conversely, $100K earned in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD has the purchasing power of $95,706 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
Rents in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD are indexed at 118.2, which is 18.2% above the national average. This is significantly higher than typical U.S. rents.
Is Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD's overall cost index changed by -1.9 points (from 106.4 to 104.5). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.
What costs the most in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
The priciest category in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD is rents at 118.2, 18.2% above the national average. The most affordable category is goods at 102.4, 2.4% above average, still the lowest of the three categories.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include New Haven, Yuba City, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD's 104.5.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.