Overall
Maine feels cheaper overall
Maine has the lower cost-of-living index, beating New Hampshire by 6.8 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
Maine vs New Hampshire: Cost of Living
Maine is cheaper overall by 6.8 cost-of-living points, but New Hampshire has no state income tax, but Maine has lower median home values.
Maine
ME • Northeast
110.3
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
New Hampshire
NH • Northeast
117.1
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Visual Comparison
Maine
110.3
New Hampshire
117.1
Difference: 6.8 points — Maine leads.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 1.4x more for a home
Maine has the lower median home value, while buying in New Hampshire costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Maine puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Maine than in New Hampshire, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
New Hampshire has no state income tax
New Hampshire gives residents a cleaner paycheck-level tax advantage, while Maine still taxes income at the state level.
View detailed comparisonCost Stack
Maine
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
110.3
Regional price parity
100.6
Regular gas price
$3.967/gal
Electricity price
30.73 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,064/mo
Median home value
$274,400
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
7.15%
State sales tax
5.50%
Property tax
1.02%
Income
Median household income
$70,171
Income after median rent
$4,784
Minimum wage
$15.10/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
Control State
Marijuana status
Legal
New Hampshire
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
117.1
Regional price parity
103.4
Regular gas price
$3.925/gal
Electricity price
26.32 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,452/mo
Median home value
$377,600
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
None (0%)
State sales tax
None (0%)
Property tax
1.66%
Income
Median household income
$90,845
Income after median rent
$6,118
Minimum wage
$7.25/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
Control State
Marijuana status
Medical
What Stands Out
- Maine has lower median home values.
- New Hampshire has no state income tax.
- Maine has the lower overall cost index.
- New Hampshire has the higher median household income.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
Maine vs New Hampshire: Cost of Living in context
Maine has a cost of living of 110.3, compared with 117.1 in New Hampshire. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Maine
110.3
New Hampshire
117.1
Difference
6.8 points
People Also Ask
Maine vs New Hampshire Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is Maine's cost of living?
Maine's cost of living is 110.3.
Q What is New Hampshire's cost of living?
New Hampshire's cost of living is 117.1.
Q Which state has a lower cost of living — Maine or New Hampshire?
Maine is cheaper overall by 6.8 cost-of-living points, but New Hampshire has no state income tax, but Maine has lower median home values.
More Comparisons: Maine vs New Hampshire
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.