Cost of Living: Baltimore, MD vs Los Angeles, CA

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 $3,974/mo in Los Angeles, CA. In the model, rent is about 18.81% of gross in Baltimore, MD versus 25.99% in Los Angeles, CA, so Baltimore, MD tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Baltimore, MD
$4,239/mo
Income level: above
Take-home in Los Angeles, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Baltimore, MD
18.81%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Los Angeles, CA
25.99%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Baltimore, MD and Los Angeles, CA.

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: Los Angeles, CA

Cost of Living Index

Baltimore, MD: 92.4 (U.S. = 100) · Los Angeles, CA: 148.6 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Baltimore, MD: $1,226/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Los Angeles, CA: $1,695/mo

Median rent in Los Angeles, CA is $469/mo higher than in Baltimore, MD.

Median Home Price

Baltimore, MD: $219,300 · Los Angeles, CA: $657,700

Median home price in Los Angeles, CA is $438,400 higher than in Baltimore, MD.

Median Household Income

Baltimore, MD: $59,623 · Los Angeles, CA: $74,785

Los Angeles, CA has a higher median household income than Baltimore, MD by $15,162.

Baltimore, MD overview · Los Angeles, CA overview · Popular comparisons