Cost of Living: Baltimore, MD vs Columbia, MD

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,239/mo in Baltimore, MD versus $4,224/mo in Columbia, MD. In the model, rent is about 18.81% of gross in Baltimore, MD versus 29.11% in Columbia, MD, so Baltimore, MD tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Baltimore, MD
$4,239/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Columbia, MD
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Baltimore, MD
18.81%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Columbia, MD
29.11%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Baltimore, MD and Columbia, MD.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Baltimore, MD
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Baltimore, MD
  • Lower home prices: Baltimore, MD
  • Higher median household income: Columbia, MD

Cost of Living Index

Baltimore, MD: 92.4 (U.S. = 100) · Columbia, MD: 100 (U.S. = 100)

Baltimore, MD has a lower cost-of-living index than Columbia, MD, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Baltimore, MD: $1,226/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Columbia, MD: $1,898/mo

Median rent in Columbia, MD is $672/mo higher than in Baltimore, MD.

Median Home Price

Baltimore, MD: $219,300 · Columbia, MD: $480,300

Median home price in Columbia, MD is $261,000 higher than in Baltimore, MD.

Median Household Income

Baltimore, MD: $59,623 · Columbia, MD: $129,173

Columbia, MD has a higher median household income than Baltimore, MD by $69,550.

Baltimore, MD overview · Columbia, MD overview · Popular comparisons