Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pittsburgh, PA and Baltimore, MD

For one person, living costs are similar in Pittsburgh, PA and in Baltimore, MD: $2,525 and $2,499 a month, rent and utilities included.

123

Cost of Living Index in Pittsburgh, PA
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Pittsburgh, PA Living Index
122

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

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Pittsburgh, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,525

/mo nomad

Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,499

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,525 in Pittsburgh, PA versus $2,499 in Baltimore, MD.

Pittsburgh, PA $2,525
Baltimore, MD $2,499

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,630 in Pittsburgh, PA versus $3,913 in Baltimore, MD.

Pittsburgh, PA $3,630
Baltimore, MD $3,913

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,736 in Pittsburgh, PA versus $5,327 in Baltimore, MD.

Pittsburgh, PA $4,736
Baltimore, MD $5,327

Living in Pittsburgh, PA is roughly 1% more expensive than in Baltimore, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pittsburgh, PA 87% above, Baltimore, MD 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 $19.71

$17.77 $17.77

10.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 $60.1

$96.2 $96.2

-37.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 $9.81

$10.82 $10.82

-9.33%

Cappuccino

$4.84 $4.84

$5.24 $5.24

-7.63%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.43 $3.43

-23.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.62 $2.62

-17.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.59 $6.59

$7.03 $7.03

-6.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 $8.18

$7.92 $7.92

3.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.15 $1.15

5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 $3.74

$4.16 $4.16

-10.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$4.09 $4.09

18.34%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$4.80 $4.80

0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 $14.71

$12.75 $12.75

15.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.62 $12.62

$12.73 $12.73

-0.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 $17.43

$18.47 $18.47

-5.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$5.90 $5.90

-12.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.52 $1.52

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$5.75 $5.75

-29.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$4.84 $4.84

14.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.81 $2.81

-15.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.90 $2.90

-13.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.40 $2.40

-0.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.29 $2.29

-13.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$14.13 $14.13

-22.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 $12.76

$15.40 $15.40

-17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.59 $2.59

-20.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.91 $3.91

1.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.06 $2.06

36.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 $98.3

$78.0 $78.0

26.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.75 $1.75

126.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.38 $1.38

10.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.78 $20.78

$24.39 $24.39

-14.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.03 $1.03

3.88%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$36.4K $36.4K

1.89%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.5K $25.5K

0.57%

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

$252 $252

$216 $216

16.31%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$65.8 $65.8

-18.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$89.3 $89.3

-23.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.26 $44.26

$50.2 $50.2

-11.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.52 $28.52

$48.01 $48.01

-40.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.83 $11.83

$15.23 $15.23

-22.32%

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

$1,752 $1,752

$1,980 $1,980

-11.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K $34.6K

$35.6K $35.6K

-2.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.08 $46.08

$53.1 $53.1

-13.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.74 $47.74

$63.4 $63.4

-24.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 $72.9

$91.9 $91.9

-20.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$112 $112

-9.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 $1,587

$1,751 $1,751

-9.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 $1,112

$1,060 $1,060

4.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 $2,442

$2,362 $2,362

3.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 $1,736

$2,064 $2,064

-15.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,169 $3,169

$2,512 $2,512

26.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,023 $2,023

$2,353 $2,353

-14.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,361 $4,361

$4,460 $4,460

-2.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

6.72

-2.98%

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

Last update for Pittsburgh, PA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Baltimore, MD: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pittsburgh, PA

$1.1K 44.1%

Baltimore, MD

$1.1K 42.4% 4.7% $52

Groceries & Markets

Pittsburgh, PA

$416 16.5%

Baltimore, MD

$435 17.4% 4.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pittsburgh, PA

$374 14.8%

Baltimore, MD

$371 14.9% 0.7% $2.4

Eating Out

Pittsburgh, PA

$314 12.4%

Baltimore, MD

$313 12.5% 0.3% $1

Getting Around

Pittsburgh, PA

$121 4.8%

Baltimore, MD

$95 3.8% 21.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Pittsburgh, PA

$121 4.8%

Baltimore, MD

$144 5.8% 19.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Pittsburgh, PA

$68 2.7%

Baltimore, MD

$81 3.2% 18.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,587 in Pittsburgh, PA and $1,751 in Baltimore, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baltimore, MD pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60.0 in Pittsburgh, PA vs $96.0 in Baltimore, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $416 vs $435 per month, with Pittsburgh, PA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pittsburgh, PA

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🕒 Local time

08:34 8:34 AM

Same time as Pittsburgh, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

311,647

585,708

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Pittsburgh, PA Baltimore, MD 320 km

From you

Pittsburgh, PA
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

Pittsburgh, PA vs Baltimore, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baltimore, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Pittsburgh, PA. 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 2% lower in Baltimore, MD. 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: $1,587 in Pittsburgh, PA versus $1,751 in Baltimore, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Pittsburgh, PA pay roughly 5% 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 $60.0 in Pittsburgh, PA. 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.

Expats usually find Baltimore, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Pittsburgh, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.