Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baltimore, MD and Elizabeth, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Baltimore, MD: $2,496 a month against $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Baltimore, MD
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Baltimore, MD Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth, NJ
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Elizabeth, NJ Living Index

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Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,496

/mo nomad

Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baltimore, MD and in Elizabeth, NJ

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 Elizabeth, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,496 in Baltimore, MD versus $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ.

Baltimore, MD $2,496
Elizabeth, NJ $3,186

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,936 in Baltimore, MD versus $4,453 in Elizabeth, NJ.

Baltimore, MD $3,936
Elizabeth, NJ $4,453

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,376 in Baltimore, MD versus $5,720 in Elizabeth, NJ.

Baltimore, MD $5,376
Elizabeth, NJ $5,720

Living in Baltimore, MD costs roughly 22% less than in Elizabeth, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Baltimore, MD 84% above, Elizabeth, NJ 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.82 $17.82

$19.71 $19.71

-9.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.4 $96.4

$80.4 $80.4

19.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 $10.83

$11.89 $11.89

-8.92%

Cappuccino

$5.12 $5.12

$5.45 $5.45

-6.06%

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

$3.32 $3.32

$2.43 $2.43

36.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.49 $1.49

81.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 $7.15

$7.78 $7.78

-8.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.78 $7.78

$7.15 $7.15

8.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.27 $1.27

-11.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$4.50 $4.50

-9.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.96 $5.96

-31.88%

Eggs

$4.77 $4.77

$6.52 $6.52

-26.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 $12.64

$15.31 $15.31

-17.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$11.83 $11.83

8.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.64 $18.64

$19.73 $19.73

-5.52%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$5.95 $5.95

2.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.55 $3.55

-56.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$4.20 $4.20

36.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$5.42 $5.42

-8.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.99 $2.99

-6.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.95 $2.95

-2.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.00 $3.00

-20.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.52 $2.52

-9.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.41 $13.41

$14.62 $14.62

-8.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.43 $15.43

$15.29 $15.29

0.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.70 $2.70

-5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.41 $3.41

17.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.88 $2.88

-32.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.3 $77.3

$76.0 $76.0

1.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.92 $2.92

-39.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.11 $2.11

-34.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.70 $23.70

$42.39 $42.39

-44.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.09 $1.09

-0.92%

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

$33.5K $33.5K

$27.9K $27.9K

19.95%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.63%

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

$213 $213

$247 $247

-13.95%

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

$66.1 $66.1

$51.0 $51.0

29.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.8 $90.8

$50.1 $50.1

81.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.88 $49.88

$24.78 $24.78

101.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.45 $48.45

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 $14.99

$20.03 $20.03

-25.16%

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

$1,962 $1,962

$2,012 $2,012

-2.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.5K $35.5K

$16.2K $16.2K

119.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$49.63 $49.63

5.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.4 $63.4

$77.6 $77.6

-18.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 $93.3

$87.9 $87.9

6.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$122 $122

-9.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,768 $1,768

$2,181 $2,181

-18.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 $1,062

$1,718 $1,718

-38.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,366 $2,366

$2,668 $2,668

-11.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,118 $2,118

$2,492 $2,492

-15.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,545 $2,545

$1,297 $1,297

96.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,336 $2,336

$1,143 $1,143

104.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,241 $4,241

$3,997 $3,997

6.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.67

0.75%

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

Last update for Baltimore, MD: October 18, 2026

Last update for Elizabeth, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baltimore, MD

$1.1K 42.6%

Elizabeth, NJ

$1.7K 53.9% 61.7% $655

Groceries & Markets

Baltimore, MD

$435 17.4%

Elizabeth, NJ

$475 14.9% 9.2% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baltimore, MD

$370 14.8%

Elizabeth, NJ

$348 10.9% 5.8% $21

Eating Out

Baltimore, MD

$312 12.5%

Elizabeth, NJ

$328 10.3% 5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Baltimore, MD

$144 5.8%

Elizabeth, NJ

$152 4.8% 5.5% $7.9

Getting Around

Baltimore, MD

$94 3.8%

Elizabeth, NJ

$101 3.2% 7.7% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Baltimore, MD

$80 3.2%

Elizabeth, NJ

$65 2% 18.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,768 in Baltimore, MD and $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baltimore, MD pays 6% 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 $80.0 in Elizabeth, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $435 vs $475, with Baltimore, MD cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 Elizabeth, NJ

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

Same time as Baltimore, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

585,708

126,179

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Baltimore, MD Elizabeth, NJ 260 km

From you

Baltimore, MD
Elizabeth, NJ

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 Elizabeth, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baltimore, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Elizabeth, NJ. 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 6% 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: $1,768 in Baltimore, MD versus $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Elizabeth, NJ. 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 $96.0 versus $80.0 in Elizabeth, NJ. 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.

Expats usually find Baltimore, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Elizabeth, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.