Cost of Living: Bowie, MD vs Columbia, MD

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Bowie, MD versus $4,224/mo in Columbia, MD. In the model, rent is about 32.64% of gross in Bowie, MD versus 29.11% in Columbia, MD, so Columbia, MD tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Bowie, MD
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Columbia, MD
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Bowie, MD
32.64%
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 Bowie, MD and Columbia, MD.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

Both cities have the same cost-of-living index (U.S. average = 100).

Median Rent

Bowie, MD: $2,128/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Columbia, MD: $1,898/mo

Median rent in Bowie, MD is $230/mo higher than in Columbia, MD.

Median Home Price

Bowie, MD: $442,000 · Columbia, MD: $480,300

Median home price in Columbia, MD is $38,300 higher than in Bowie, MD.

Median Household Income

Bowie, MD: $141,831 · Columbia, MD: $129,173

Bowie, MD has a higher median household income than Columbia, MD by $12,658.

Bowie, MD overview · Columbia, MD overview · Popular comparisons