Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Foster City, CA and Baltimore, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Baltimore, MD: $2,496 a month against $4,311 in Foster City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

208

Cost of Living Index in Foster City, CA
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Foster City, CA Living Index
122

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

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Foster City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,311

/mo nomad

Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Foster City, CA 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 Foster City, CA and in Baltimore, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,311 in Foster City, CA versus $2,496 in Baltimore, MD.

Foster City, CA $4,311
Baltimore, MD $2,496

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,062 in Foster City, CA versus $3,936 in Baltimore, MD.

Foster City, CA $4,062
Baltimore, MD $3,936

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,812 in Foster City, CA versus $5,376 in Baltimore, MD.

Foster City, CA $3,812
Baltimore, MD $5,376

Living in Foster City, CA is roughly 73% more expensive than in Baltimore, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Foster City, CA 218% above, Baltimore, MD 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.94 $24.94

$17.82 $17.82

39.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$96.4 $96.4

13.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$10.83 $10.83

12.10%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.12 $5.12

9.96%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$3.32 $3.32

-11.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.70 $2.70

0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.09 $8.09

$7.15 $7.15

13.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$7.78 $7.78

5.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.12 $1.12

23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.07 $4.07

21.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$4.06 $4.06

-46.31%

Eggs

$6.46 $6.46

$4.77 $4.77

35.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.14 $15.14

$12.64 $12.64

19.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 $13.04

$12.78 $12.78

2.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.19 $23.19

$18.64 $18.64

24.41%

Apples (1kg)

$7.78 $7.78

$6.11 $6.11

27.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.54 $1.54

53.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$5.75 $5.75

13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$4.94 $4.94

-33.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.81 $2.81

19.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.87 $2.87

8.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.38 $2.38

3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.27 $2.27

-9.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.93 $11.93

$13.41 $13.41

-11.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.18 $20.18

$15.43 $15.43

30.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.55 $2.55

-32.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.99 $3.99

-7.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.94 $1.94

94.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$190 $190

$77.3 $77.3

146.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.78 $1.78

80.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.39 $1.39

69.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.74 $39.74

$23.70 $23.70

67.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.08 $1.08

46.30%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$33.5K $33.5K

-17.24%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.58%

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

$270 $270

$213 $213

26.75%

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

$50.2 $50.2

$66.1 $66.1

-24.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 $67.5

$90.8 $90.8

-25.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$49.88 $49.88

124.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.45 $48.45

Cinema Ticket

$15.80 $15.80

$14.99 $14.99

5.40%

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

$2,697 $2,697

$1,962 $1,962

37.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.6K $37.6K

$35.5K $35.5K

5.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.34 $47.34

$52.3 $52.3

-9.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.56 $29.56

$63.4 $63.4

-53.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 $67.7

$93.3 $93.3

-27.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.96 $49.96

$110 $110

-54.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,003 $3,003

$1,768 $1,768

69.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,609 $2,609

$1,062 $1,062

145.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,366 $2,366

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,118 $2,118

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K $10.6K

$2,545 $2,545

318.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,568 $9,568

$2,336 $2,336

309.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,872 $6,872

$4,241 $4,241

62.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.72

1.49%

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

Last update for Foster City, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Baltimore, MD: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Foster City, CA

$2.6K 60.5%

Baltimore, MD

$1.1K 42.6% 59.3% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Foster City, CA

$481 11.2%

Baltimore, MD

$435 17.4% 9.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Foster City, CA

$387 9%

Baltimore, MD

$370 14.8% 4.6% $18

Eating Out

Foster City, CA

$383 8.9%

Baltimore, MD

$312 12.5% 18.6% $71

Getting Around

Foster City, CA

$220 5.1%

Baltimore, MD

$94 3.8% 57.4% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Foster City, CA

$144 3.3%

Baltimore, MD

$80 3.2% 44.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Foster City, CA

$88 2%

Baltimore, MD

$144 5.8% 64.1% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,003 in Foster City, CA and $1,768 in Baltimore, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Foster City, CA pays 62% 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: $109 in Foster City, CA vs $96.0 in Baltimore, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $481 vs $435 per month, with Baltimore, MD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Foster City, CA

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🕒 Local time

00:36 12:36 AM

03:36 3:36 AM

3 h ahead of Foster City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,567

585,708

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Foster City, CA Baltimore, MD 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Foster City, CA
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

Foster City, CA vs Baltimore, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baltimore, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Foster City, CA. 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 62% higher in Foster City, CA, 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: $3,003 in Foster City, CA versus $1,768 in Baltimore, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Foster City, CA. 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 $109 in Foster City, CA. 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 $2,496 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baltimore, MD hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Foster City, CA and Baltimore, MD 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 73% less than in Foster City, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.