Most Expensive Cities in Maine: 2024 Metro Ranking
Compare the most expensive cities and metro areas in Maine, ranked by the 2024 BEA cost-of-living index. 3 metro areas are available.
| # | Metro | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland-South Portland, ME | 101.9 |
| 2 | Bangor, ME | 96.5 |
| 3 | Lewiston-Auburn, ME | 94.7 |
Where the Premium Lives in Maine
Portland-South Portland, ME leads Bangor, ME, while Lewiston-Auburn, ME marks the other end of this 3-market list. The 7.1-point span shows a tiered market rather than one statewide price level.
1 of 3 listed metros exceed the U.S. benchmark, so Maine crosses the national line. That mixed result makes the metro name more decision-relevant than the statewide label.
Local services creates the strongest upward pressure in Portland-South Portland, ME, at 134.6 against the national benchmark of 100. Its other components are housing 105.2 and tradable goods 97.2, so the top metro's premium is not interchangeable with a market led by another budget category.
At Portland-South Portland, ME's price level, a national-average $100,000 lifestyle translates to about $101,858. Treat that as a purchasing-power screen, then verify occupation pay, current HUD rent, and state tax treatment before comparing an offer.
Latest BEA release change
How Portland-South Portland, ME's relative premium eased
From 2023 to 2024, Portland-South Portland, ME's overall RPP fell by 2.5 points, from 104.4 to 101.9. The largest component move was rents , which changed by -14.2 points . RPP is a relative price index, so this reports movement against the U.S. benchmark rather than a household's dollar bill.
Local services are the pressure category on the latest snapshot (134.6 services RPP vs 101.9 overall). Portland-South Portland, ME leads Bangor, ME by 5.4 points across a 7.1-point in-state span.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Portland-South Portland, ME has the highest overall Regional Price Parity in this Maine ranking at 101.9. The national average is 100, so this comparison identifies the highest relative price level among the metro areas BEA reports; it does not estimate a household budget or explain why local prices differ.
- Portland-South Portland, ME ranks first of 3 listed Maine metro areas by overall cost
- 1 of 3 listed metros are above the U.S. price-level benchmark
- Portland-South Portland, ME's overall RPP fell 2.5 pts from 2023 to 2024
Related views
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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.