Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baltimore, MD and Bellingham, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Baltimore, MD: $2,603 a month against $3,010 in Bellingham, WA, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Baltimore, MD
Learn more

Baltimore, MD Living Index
145

Cost of Living Index in Bellingham, WA
Learn more

Bellingham, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,603

/mo nomad

Bellingham, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,010

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baltimore, MD and in Bellingham, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Baltimore, MD and in Bellingham, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,603 in Baltimore, MD versus $3,010 in Bellingham, WA.

Baltimore, MD $2,603
Bellingham, WA $3,010

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,940 in Baltimore, MD versus $4,448 in Bellingham, WA.

Baltimore, MD $3,940
Bellingham, WA $4,448

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,277 in Baltimore, MD versus $5,886 in Bellingham, WA.

Baltimore, MD $5,277
Bellingham, WA $5,886

Living in Baltimore, MD costs roughly 14% less than in Bellingham, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Baltimore, MD 91% above, Bellingham, WA 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 $17.89

$24.70 $24.70

-27.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 $94.6

$101 $101

-6.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 $10.58

$13.26 $13.26

-20.21%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$5.94 $5.94

-12.46%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.16 $3.16

9.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.19 $2.19

18.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 $6.92

$6.87 $6.87

0.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 $8.08

$6.90 $6.90

17.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.13 $1.13

1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.82 $3.82

8.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$4.91 $4.91

-13.44%

Eggs

$5.04 $5.04

$4.96 $4.96

1.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 $12.57

$18.80 $18.80

-33.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.88 $12.88

$18.61 $18.61

-30.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.12 $18.12

$23.00 $23.00

-21.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$5.14 $5.14

14.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.89 $1.89

-18.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$5.32 $5.32

6.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$6.32 $6.32

-24.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.61 $3.61

-24.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.16 $3.16

-9.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.55 $2.55

-7.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.47 $2.47

-8.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.27 $13.27

$12.44 $12.44

6.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.80 $15.80

$14.95 $14.95

5.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.76 $1.76

51.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$5.74 $5.74

-33.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.99 $1.99

3.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.6 $77.6

$30.51 $30.51

154.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.68 $2.68

-34.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.70 $1.70

-18.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.89 $23.89

$30.27 $30.27

-21.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.44 $1.44

-25.69%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.5K $27.5K

25.48%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.7K $25.7K

3.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$217 $217

0.08%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$57.4 $57.4

18.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.8 $88.8

$81.3 $81.3

9.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.25 $47.25

$62.0 $62.0

-23.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.67 $47.67

$14.82 $14.82

221.66%

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 $14.95

$18.31 $18.31

-18.35%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,934 $1,934

$1,125 $1,125

71.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K $35.0K

$31.7K $31.7K

10.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 $53.3

$80.5 $80.5

-33.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.1 $62.1

$28.32 $28.32

119.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 $94.0

$109 $109

-13.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$149 $149

-25.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 $1,735

$1,707 $1,707

1.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 $1,165

$1,458 $1,458

-20.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,179 $2,179

$2,598 $2,598

-16.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 $2,026

$2,347 $2,347

-13.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 $2,404

$4,441 $4,441

-45.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,214 $2,214

$3,925 $3,925

-43.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,375 $4,375

$4,391 $4,391

-0.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.68

0.60%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Baltimore, MD: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bellingham, WA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Baltimore, MD

$1.2K 44.8%

Bellingham, WA

$1.5K 48.4% 25.1% $292

Groceries & Markets

Baltimore, MD

$435 16.7%

Bellingham, WA

$505 16.8% 16.1% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baltimore, MD

$374 14.4%

Bellingham, WA

$356 11.8% 4.9% $18

Eating Out

Baltimore, MD

$312 12%

Bellingham, WA

$378 12.6% 21.1% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Baltimore, MD

$144 5.6%

Bellingham, WA

$165 5.5% 14.4% $21

Getting Around

Baltimore, MD

$94 3.6%

Bellingham, WA

$50 1.7% 47.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Baltimore, MD

$77 3%

Bellingham, WA

$99 3.3% 27.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,735 in Baltimore, MD and $1,707 in Bellingham, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95 in Baltimore, MD vs $101 in Bellingham, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $435 vs $505 per month, with Baltimore, MD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 Bellingham, WA

🕒 Local time

18:13 6:13 PM

15:13 3:13 PM

3 h behind Baltimore, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

585,708

91,482

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baltimore, MD Bellingham, WA 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Baltimore, MD
Bellingham, WA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Baltimore, MD vs Bellingham, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baltimore, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Bellingham, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baltimore, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,904 in Baltimore, MD and $4,515 in Bellingham, WA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,735 in Baltimore, MD versus $1,707 in Bellingham, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Bellingham, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Baltimore, MD – a meal for two runs $95 versus $101 in Bellingham, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Baltimore, MD is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.