Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baltimore, MD and Long Island, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Baltimore, MD: $2,499 a month against $3,867 in Long Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Long Island, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

122

Cost of Living Index in Baltimore, MD
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Baltimore, MD Living Index
187

Cost of Living Index in Long Island, NY
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Long Island, NY Living Index

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Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,499

/mo nomad

Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,867

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baltimore, MD and in Long Island, NY

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 Long Island, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,499 in Baltimore, MD versus $3,867 in Long Island, NY.

Baltimore, MD $2,499
Long Island, NY $3,867

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,913 in Baltimore, MD versus $5,541 in Long Island, NY.

Baltimore, MD $3,913
Long Island, NY $5,541

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Baltimore, MD versus $7,215 in Long Island, NY.

Baltimore, MD $5,327
Long Island, NY $7,215

Living in Baltimore, MD costs roughly 35% less than in Long Island, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Baltimore, MD 85% above, Long Island, NY 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.77 $17.77

$25.36 $25.36

-29.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.2 $96.2

$101 $101

-5.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 $10.82

$10.94 $10.94

-1.10%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$5.07 $5.07

3.35%

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

$3.43 $3.43

$2.14 $2.14

60.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.59 $1.59

64.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 $7.03

$8.06 $8.06

-12.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$7.87 $7.87

0.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.27 $1.27

-9.45%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$4.23 $4.23

-1.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.91 $1.91

114.14%

Eggs

$4.80 $4.80

$5.07 $5.07

-5.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$7.14 $7.14

78.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.73 $12.73

$11.65 $11.65

9.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 $18.47

$16.63 $16.63

11.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$4.11 $4.11

43.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.26 $1.26

20.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$2.15 $2.15

167.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$6.06 $6.06

-20.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.08 $1.08

160.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.25 $2.25

28.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.48 $1.48

62.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.83 $2.83

-19.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.13 $14.13

$11.27 $11.27

25.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 $15.40

$17.38 $17.38

-11.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.70 $1.70

52.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$4.06 $4.06

-3.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.76 $2.76

-25.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.0 $78.0

$131 $131

-40.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.05 $3.05

-42.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.08 $2.08

-33.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.39 $24.39

$24.16 $24.16

0.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.12 $1.12

-8.04%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$36.7K $36.7K

-0.77%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

0.32%

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

$216 $216

$190 $190

13.58%

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

$65.8 $65.8

$48.53 $48.53

35.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.3 $89.3

$54.4 $54.4

64.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 $50.2

$31.55 $31.55

59.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.01 $48.01

$102 $102

-53.02%

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 $15.23

$14.23 $14.23

7.03%

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

$1,980 $1,980

$2,219 $2,219

-10.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.6K $35.6K

$24.0K $24.0K

48.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 $53.1

$40.01 $40.01

32.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.4 $63.4

$56.5 $56.5

12.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 $91.9

$75.7 $75.7

21.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$158 $158

-29.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 $1,751

$2,715 $2,715

-35.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 $1,060

$2,463 $2,463

-56.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 $2,362

$5,300 $5,300

-55.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,064 $2,064

$3,883 $3,883

-46.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,512 $2,512

$4,360 $4,360

-42.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,353 $2,353

$4,364 $4,364

-46.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,460 $4,460

$4,983 $4,983

-10.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.63

1.36%

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

Last update for Baltimore, MD: October 12, 2026

Last update for Long Island, NY: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baltimore, MD

$1.1K 42.4%

Long Island, NY

$2.5K 63.7% 132% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Baltimore, MD

$435 17.4%

Long Island, NY

$378 9.8% 12.9% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baltimore, MD

$371 14.9%

Long Island, NY

$293 7.6% 21% $78

Eating Out

Baltimore, MD

$313 12.5%

Long Island, NY

$368 9.5% 17.5% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Baltimore, MD

$144 5.8%

Long Island, NY

$149 3.8% 3.1% $4.4

Getting Around

Baltimore, MD

$95 3.8%

Long Island, NY

$155 4% 63.8% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Baltimore, MD

$81 3.2%

Long Island, NY

$60 1.6% 25.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,751 in Baltimore, MD and $2,715 in Long Island, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Long Island, NY pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $96.0 in Baltimore, MD vs $101 in Long Island, NY. Groceries flip the comparison at $435 vs $378, with Long Island, NY cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🕒 Local time

11:53 11:53 AM

Same time as Baltimore, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

585,708

7,804,968

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Baltimore, MD Long Island, NY 350 km

From you

Baltimore, MD
Long Island, NY

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 Long Island, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baltimore, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Long Island, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baltimore, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Long Island, NY. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,751 in Baltimore, MD versus $2,715 in Long Island, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Long Island, NY pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Baltimore, MD – a meal for two runs $96.0 versus $101 in Long Island, NY. 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 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.

Safety-wise, Baltimore, MD and Long Island, NY are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baltimore, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Long Island, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.