Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Baltimore, MD: $2,603 a month against $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Long Island, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

201

Cost of Living Index in Long Island, NY
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Long Island, NY Living Index
126

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

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Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,225

/mo nomad

Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,603

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Long Island, NY 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 Long Island, NY and in Baltimore, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,225 in Long Island, NY versus $2,603 in Baltimore, MD.

Long Island, NY $4,225
Baltimore, MD $2,603

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,930 in Long Island, NY versus $3,940 in Baltimore, MD.

Long Island, NY $5,930
Baltimore, MD $3,940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,634 in Long Island, NY versus $5,277 in Baltimore, MD.

Long Island, NY $7,634
Baltimore, MD $5,277

Living in Long Island, NY is roughly 62% more expensive than in Baltimore, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Long Island, NY 210% above, Baltimore, MD 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 $25.14

$17.89 $17.89

40.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$94.6 $94.6

4.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 $10.99

$10.58 $10.58

3.88%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$5.20 $5.20

-2.31%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$3.45 $3.45

-37.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.60 $2.60

-39.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.02 $8.02

$6.92 $6.92

15.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$8.08 $8.08

-2.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.15 $1.15

14.78%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 $4.26

$4.13 $4.13

3.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$4.25 $4.25

-54.35%

Eggs

$5.26 $5.26

$5.04 $5.04

4.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 $7.21

$12.57 $12.57

-42.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$12.88 $12.88

-7.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$18.12 $18.12

-10.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$5.90 $5.90

-27.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.54 $1.54

-22.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$5.66 $5.66

-63.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$4.80 $4.80

28.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.71 $2.71

-60.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.87 $2.87

-24.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.36 $2.36

-37.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.26 $2.26

26.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$13.27 $13.27

-10.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.58 $17.58

$15.80 $15.80

11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.67 $2.67

-34.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.82 $3.82

7.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.06 $2.06

44.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$130 $130

$77.6 $77.6

67.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.76 $1.76

69.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.38 $1.38

44.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.41 $24.41

$23.89 $23.89

2.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.07 $1.07

3.74%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.5K $34.5K

-20.37%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.18%

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

$192 $192

$217 $217

-11.74%

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

$48.26 $48.26

$68.1 $68.1

-29.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 $53.7

$88.8 $88.8

-39.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.30 $31.30

$47.25 $47.25

-33.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$102 $102

$47.67 $47.67

113.76%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 $14.69

$14.95 $14.95

-1.74%

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

$2,444 $2,444

$1,934 $1,934

26.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-32.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.07 $40.07

$53.3 $53.3

-24.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 $56.7

$62.1 $62.1

-8.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 $76.3

$94.0 $94.0

-18.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$111 $111

39.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,189 $3,189

$1,735 $1,735

83.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 $2,820

$1,165 $1,165

142.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,670 $5,670

$2,179 $2,179

160.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,315 $4,315

$2,026 $2,026

112.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,973 $5,973

$2,404 $2,404

148.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,241 $4,241

$2,214 $2,214

91.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,981 $4,981

$4,375 $4,375

13.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.72

-1.34%

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

Last update for Long Island, NY: October 25, 2026

Last update for Baltimore, MD: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Long Island, NY

$2.8K 66.8%

Baltimore, MD

$1.2K 44.8% 58.7% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Long Island, NY

$382 9%

Baltimore, MD

$435 16.7% 13.9% $53

Eating Out

Long Island, NY

$366 8.7%

Baltimore, MD

$312 12% 14.7% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Island, NY

$294 7%

Baltimore, MD

$374 14.4% 27.4% $80

Getting Around

Long Island, NY

$154 3.7%

Baltimore, MD

$94 3.6% 38.8% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Long Island, NY

$148 3.5%

Baltimore, MD

$144 5.6% 2.4% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Long Island, NY

$61 1.4%

Baltimore, MD

$77 3% 27.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,189 in Long Island, NY and $1,735 in Baltimore, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Long Island, NY pays 14% 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: $99 in Long Island, NY vs $95 in Baltimore, MD. Groceries flip the comparison at $382 vs $435, with Long Island, NY cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🕒 Local time

07:29 7:29 AM

Same time as Long Island, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,804,968

585,708

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Long Island, NY Baltimore, MD 350 km

From you

Long Island, NY
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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

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

Baltimore, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 38% 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.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Long Island, NY, 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: $3,189 in Long Island, NY versus $1,735 in Baltimore, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Long Island, NY pay roughly 12% 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 $95 versus $99 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 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.

It comes down to priorities – Baltimore, MD wins on affordability, Long Island, NY on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.