Moving from Boston to Baltimore, MD

The typical home in the Baltimore, MD metro costs $375,000, against $784,778 in the Boston metro. That's a mortgage of $2,061 a month instead of $4,313: $2,252 less every month, $27,023 a year. To keep the lifestyle $150,000 buys in Boston, you would need about $144,764 in Baltimore.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 4, 2026.

$2,252Less each month on the typical home^1,2On the mortgage
$606 lessDifference in 2-bedroom rent³Utilities included
$144,764Matches $150,000 in Boston⁴Same lifestyle, local prices
6.5%Maryland income tax⁵Top rate, 2026

Boston vs Baltimore: the numbers

Side by side, from the mortgage to the tax on your paycheck.^1,4,5

Measure	Boston	Baltimore
Typical home for sale	$784,778	$375,000
Monthly mortgage on it	$4,313	$2,061
2-bedroom rent	$2,370	$1,764
Everyday prices	8% above avg	4% above avg
Housing costs	48% above avg	18% above avg
Income tax on wages, 2026	Up to 9%	Up to 6.5%, plus Baltimore City up to 3.2%

What else changes when you move to Baltimore

January lows average 25.4°F and July highs 88.8°F, with 19.3 inches of snow and 45 inches of total precipitation in a typical year^source.

The Boston metro lost 29,132 more residents to the rest of the country than it gained over the same year (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025).

Taxes: Maryland taxes wages at up to 6.5%, and Baltimore City adds up to 3.2%; Massachusetts tops out at 9% (2026, married filing jointly). Property and sales taxes differ too; each state page has them where we track them.

Relocation incentive: Baltimore has a program that pays new residents: Up to $5,000 toward a home. See the rules.

After you move: Maryland deadlines

New residents get a set number of days to switch their license and register their car.

The full order of tasks is in our moving out of state checklist, and what the move itself costs is in how much it costs to move out of state (HireAHelper, 2026).

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Questions people ask

Is it cheaper to live in Baltimore than Boston?

Yes. Everyday prices, rent included, run 3% lower in Baltimore, MD than in the Boston metro by BEA's regional price parities (104.5 against 108.3, US = 100, 2024).

What salary in Baltimore matches $150,000 in Boston?

About $144,764, using BEA regional price parities for Baltimore, MD (104.5) and the Boston metro (108.3), 2024. Taxes are not included; see the tax comparison on this page.

How much would I save on housing moving from Boston to Baltimore?

On the median listed home, principal and interest drop from $4,313 to $2,061 a month ($2,252 less), with 20% down at 7.32% (Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026; Freddie Mac). Median rent for a 2-bedroom is $1,764 against $2,370 (Census ACS 2025).

Does Maryland have a state income tax?

Yes, graduated up to 6.5% on wages in 2026 (Comptroller of Maryland, 2026 Maryland State and Local Withholding Information; Tax Foundation 2026 table for deductions and exemptions). Baltimore City adds a city income tax of up to 3.2%. In Massachusetts the top state rate is 9%.

How much does it cost to move from Boston to Baltimore?

Nobody publishes an average for this route. HireAHelper's 2026 long-distance estimates for a 2 to 3 bedroom home run from $533 to $728 for a rental truck you load yourself to $2,910 to $4,569 for full-service movers, before distance pushes the price up. Get three written estimates for the same inventory; federal rules cap what an interstate mover can demand at delivery at 110% of a non-binding estimate (FMCSA).

More moves from Boston

Notes on the numbers

1Home prices: the typical home is the median listing price, Realtor.com via FRED, September 2026. Boston values are for the whole metro area; Baltimore values are for its metro area.
2Monthly mortgage: Principal and interest on the median listed home with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026). Excludes taxes, insurance and HOA. Rate source
3Rent: Census ACS 2025 1-year, median gross rent for 2-bedroom units (rent plus utilities). Census table
4Everyday prices, housing costs and the matching salary: BEA regional price parities, 2024, compared with the US average.
5Income tax: state revenue departments, 2026 rates for married couples filing jointly. Details on our state income tax comparison.

Sources for this page