Overall
Virginia feels cheaper overall
Virginia has the lower cost-of-living index, beating Maryland by 18.0 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
Maryland vs Virginia: Cost of Living
Virginia is cheaper overall by 18.0 cost-of-living points, but Virginia has lower median home values.
Maryland
MD • South
121.7
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
103.7
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Visual Comparison
Maryland
121.7
Virginia
103.7
Difference: 18.0 points — Virginia leads.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for cost of living.
Maryland
#44 · 121.7
Virginia
#33 · 103.7
Best
Worst
10 Best States — Cost of Living
Lower is better
#1
West Virginia
83.6
West Virginia
#2
Mississippi
85.5
Mississippi
#3
Arkansas
87.6
Arkansas
#4
Kentucky
88.0
Kentucky
#5
Alabama
88.6
Alabama
#6
Oklahoma
88.6
Oklahoma
#7
Missouri
90.0
Missouri
#8
Kansas
90.2
Kansas
#9
Iowa
91.0
Iowa
#10
Ohio
91.0
Ohio
Selected states
#44
Maryland
121.7
Maryland
#33
Virginia
103.7
Virginia
Maryland ranks 44th and Virginia ranks 33rd nationally for cost of living.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 1.0x more for a home
Virginia has the lower median home value, while buying in Maryland costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Maryland puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Maryland than in Virginia, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
Virginia keeps more income after state tax
Virginia has the lower top state income tax rate, which softens the total cost picture even when prices are close.
View detailed comparisonCost Stack
Maryland
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
121.7
Regional price parity
107.7
Regular gas price
$4.088/gal
Electricity price
20.61 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,685/mo
Median home value
$375,600
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
5.75%
State sales tax
6.00%
Property tax
0.97%
Income
Median household income
$98,461
Income after median rent
$6,520
Minimum wage
$15.00/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Restrictive
Alcohol system
Control State
Marijuana status
Legal
Virginia
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
103.7
Regional price parity
102.4
Regular gas price
$4.063/gal
Electricity price
15.87 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,518/mo
Median home value
$367,900
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
5.75%
State sales tax
5.30%
Property tax
0.73%
Income
Median household income
$87,249
Income after median rent
$5,753
Minimum wage
$15.00/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Restrictive
Alcohol system
Control State
Marijuana status
Legal
What Stands Out
- Virginia has lower median home values.
- Virginia has the lower overall cost index.
- Maryland has the higher median household income.
- Maryland looks more attainable on home value to income ratio.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
Maryland vs Virginia: Cost of Living in context
Virginia has a cost of living of 103.7, compared with 121.7 in Maryland. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Maryland
121.7
Virginia
103.7
Difference
18.0 points
People Also Ask
Maryland vs Virginia Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is Maryland's cost of living?
Maryland's cost of living is 121.7.
Q What is Virginia's cost of living?
Virginia's cost of living is 103.7.
Q Which state has a lower cost of living — Maryland or Virginia?
Virginia is cheaper overall by 18.0 cost-of-living points, but Virginia has lower median home values.
More Comparisons: Maryland vs Virginia
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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; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes 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.