Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baltimore, MD and Bethlehem, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Baltimore, MD: $2,499 a month against $2,630 in Bethlehem, PA, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bethlehem, PA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

122

Cost of Living Index in Baltimore, MD
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Baltimore, MD Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Bethlehem, PA
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Bethlehem, PA Living Index

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Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,499

/mo nomad

Bethlehem, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baltimore, MD and in Bethlehem, PA

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 Bethlehem, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,499 in Baltimore, MD versus $2,630 in Bethlehem, PA.

Baltimore, MD $2,499
Bethlehem, PA $2,630

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,913 in Baltimore, MD versus $3,712 in Bethlehem, PA.

Baltimore, MD $3,913
Bethlehem, PA $3,712

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Baltimore, MD versus $4,794 in Bethlehem, PA.

Baltimore, MD $5,327
Bethlehem, PA $4,794

Living in Baltimore, MD costs roughly 5% less than in Bethlehem, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Baltimore, MD 85% above, Bethlehem, PA 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.77 $17.77

$18.12 $18.12

-1.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.2 $96.2

$50.4 $50.4

90.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 $10.82

$13.18 $13.18

-17.91%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$5.04 $5.04

3.97%

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

$3.43 $3.43

$2.97 $2.97

15.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.99 $1.99

31.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 $7.03

$5.22 $5.22

34.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$8.14 $8.14

-2.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.17 $1.17

-1.71%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.89 $3.89

6.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.91 $3.91

4.60%

Eggs

$4.80 $4.80

$4.06 $4.06

18.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$12.17 $12.17

4.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 $12.73

$16.53 $16.53

-22.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 $18.47

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$6.29 $6.29

-6.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.32 $1.32

15.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$4.04 $4.04

42.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$4.29 $4.29

12.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.23 $2.23

26.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.62 $2.62

10.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.71 $2.71

-11.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.83 $1.83

25.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.13 $14.13

$9.67 $9.67

46.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 $15.40

$17.69 $17.69

-12.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.77 $1.77

46.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$6.86 $6.86

-43.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.0 $78.0

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 $1.75

$4.90 $4.90

-64.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$3.03 $3.03

-54.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.39 $24.39

$35.21 $35.21

-30.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.93 $0.93

10.75%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$22.6K $22.6K

61.22%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$24.3K $24.3K

5.19%

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

$216 $216

$203 $203

6.79%

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

$65.8 $65.8

$39.54 $39.54

66.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.3 $89.3

$79.2 $79.2

12.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 $50.2

$36.73 $36.73

36.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.01 $48.01

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 $15.23

$15.16 $15.16

0.46%

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

$1,980 $1,980

$1,004 $1,004

97.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.6K $35.6K

$64.9K $64.9K

-45.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 $53.1

$53.3 $53.3

-0.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.4 $63.4

$30.05 $30.05

110.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 $91.9

$66.1 $66.1

39.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$84.2 $84.2

33.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 $1,751

$1,561 $1,561

12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 $1,060

$1,373 $1,373

-22.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 $2,362

$2,225 $2,225

6.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,064 $2,064

$2,155 $2,155

-4.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,512 $2,512

$2,149 $2,149

16.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,353 $2,353

$2,123 $2,123

10.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,460 $4,460

$3,507 $3,507

27.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.5

3.38%

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

Last update for Baltimore, MD: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bethlehem, PA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baltimore, MD

$1.1K 42.4%

Bethlehem, PA

$1.4K 52.2% 29.5% $313

Groceries & Markets

Baltimore, MD

$435 17.4%

Bethlehem, PA

$437 16.6% 0.5% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baltimore, MD

$371 14.9%

Bethlehem, PA

$321 12.2% 13.5% $50

Eating Out

Baltimore, MD

$313 12.5%

Bethlehem, PA

$307 11.7% 1.7% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Baltimore, MD

$144 5.8%

Bethlehem, PA

$105 4% 27.1% $39

Getting Around

Baltimore, MD

$95 3.8%

Bethlehem, PA

$20 * 0.8% 78.9% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Baltimore, MD

$81 3.2%

Bethlehem, PA

$67 2.6% 16.9% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,751 in Baltimore, MD and $1,561 in Bethlehem, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baltimore, MD pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $96.0 in Baltimore, MD vs $50.0 in Bethlehem, PA. Groceries flip the comparison at $435 vs $437, with Baltimore, MD cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 Bethlehem, PA

🕒 Local time

12:40 12:40 PM

Same time as Baltimore, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

585,708

75,624

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Baltimore, MD Bethlehem, PA 180 km

From you

Baltimore, MD
Bethlehem, PA

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 Bethlehem, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baltimore, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Bethlehem, PA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baltimore, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Baltimore, MD, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,751 in Baltimore, MD versus $1,561 in Bethlehem, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Bethlehem, PA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,499 per month in Baltimore, MD versus $2,630 in Bethlehem, PA – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 work as nomad bases, but Baltimore, MD delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,499 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baltimore, MD hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Baltimore, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Bethlehem, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.