Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

145

Cost of Living Index in Bellingham, WA
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Bellingham, WA Living Index
126

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

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Bellingham, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,010

/mo nomad

Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,603

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Bellingham, WA is roughly 16% more expensive than in Baltimore, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 $24.70

$17.89 $17.89

38.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$94.6 $94.6

6.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 $13.26

$10.58 $10.58

25.33%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$5.20 $5.20

14.23%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$3.45 $3.45

-8.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.60 $2.60

-15.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.92 $6.92

-0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$8.08 $8.08

-14.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.15 $1.15

-1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 $3.82

$4.13 $4.13

-7.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$4.25 $4.25

15.53%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$5.04 $5.04

-1.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.80 $18.80

$12.57 $12.57

49.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.61 $18.61

$12.88 $12.88

44.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.00 $23.00

$18.12 $18.12

26.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$5.90 $5.90

-12.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.54 $1.54

22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$5.66 $5.66

-6.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.32 $6.32

$4.80 $4.80

31.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.71 $2.71

33.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.87 $2.87

10.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.36 $2.36

8.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.26 $2.26

9.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.44 $12.44

$13.27 $13.27

-6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$15.80 $15.80

-5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.67 $2.67

-34.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 $5.74

$3.82 $3.82

50.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.06 $2.06

-3.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.51 $30.51

$77.6 $77.6

-60.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.76 $1.76

52.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.38 $1.38

23.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.27 $30.27

$23.89 $23.89

26.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.07 $1.07

34.58%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.5K $34.5K

-20.31%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

-3.28%

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)

$57.4 $57.4

$68.1 $68.1

-15.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.3 $81.3

$88.8 $88.8

-8.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 $62.0

$47.25 $47.25

31.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$47.67 $47.67

-68.91%

Cinema Ticket

$18.31 $18.31

$14.95 $14.95

22.47%

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

$1,125 $1,125

$1,934 $1,934

-41.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-9.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 $80.5

$53.3 $53.3

51.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.32 $28.32

$62.1 $62.1

-54.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$94.0 $94.0

15.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$111 $111

34.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 $1,707

$1,735 $1,735

-1.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 $1,458

$1,165 $1,165

25.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,598 $2,598

$2,179 $2,179

19.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,347 $2,347

$2,026 $2,026

15.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,441 $4,441

$2,404 $2,404

84.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,925 $3,925

$2,214 $2,214

77.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,391 $4,391

$4,375 $4,375

0.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.72

-0.60%

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

Last update for Bellingham, WA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Baltimore, MD: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bellingham, WA

$1.5K 48.4%

Baltimore, MD

$1.2K 44.8% 20% $292

Groceries & Markets

Bellingham, WA

$505 16.8%

Baltimore, MD

$435 16.7% 13.9% $70

Eating Out

Bellingham, WA

$378 12.6%

Baltimore, MD

$312 12% 17.4% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellingham, WA

$356 11.8%

Baltimore, MD

$374 14.4% 5.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Bellingham, WA

$165 5.5%

Baltimore, MD

$144 5.6% 12.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Bellingham, WA

$99 3.3%

Baltimore, MD

$77 3% 21.8% $21

Getting Around

Bellingham, WA

$50 1.7%

Baltimore, MD

$94 3.6% 90.3% $45

Cost Breakdown

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

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellingham, WA

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🕒 Local time

10:47 10:47 AM

13:47 1:47 PM

3 h ahead of Bellingham, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,482

585,708

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Bellingham, WA
Baltimore, MD

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

Bellingham, WA vs Baltimore, MD: 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 $4,515 in Bellingham, WA and $3,904 in Baltimore, MD 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: $1,707 in Bellingham, WA versus $1,735 in Baltimore, MD. 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.