Phoenix, AZ vs Baltimore, MD
Moving from Phoenix to Baltimore? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($448,352 → $405,877 median home) and taxes.
Phoenix vs Baltimore at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Phoenix, AZ, you'd need about $98,575 in Baltimore, MD (−$1,425).
Livability — Phoenix, AZ: 62 · Baltimore, MD: 57 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 2,063 sqft in Phoenix vs 2,341 sqft in Baltimore ($242 vs $214 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Phoenix, AZ | Baltimore, MD | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $20,904 | $23,028 | +$2,124 |
| Groceries | $4,919 | $5,075 | +$156 |
| Transportation | $3,960 | $3,685 | −$275 |
| Utilities | $1,668 | $2,388 | +$720 |
| Insurance | $1,800 | $1,400 | −$400 |
| Taxes | $7,280 | $11,584 | +$4,304 |
| Total | $40,531 | $47,160 | +$6,629 |
Side by side
| Metric | Phoenix, AZ | Baltimore, MD |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 104.7 | 103.2 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.88% | 4.86% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 6.7% | 1.7% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 86 | 47 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.96 | $5.87 |
| Median home price | $448,352 | $405,877 |
| Home price ÷ income | 5.6× | 4.3× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | -1.7% | 0.8% |
| Price per square foot | $242 | $214 |
| Median rent | $1,742 | $1,919 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 9.5% | 11.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.38% | 6.00% |
| Capital gains tax | 2.50% | 5.75% |
| Property tax rate | 0.51% | 1.04% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,300 | $7,200 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $12,500 | $16,000 |
| Vehicle property tax | 1.68% | None |
| Avg commute (min) | 27 | 30 |
| Home insurance / yr | $1,800 | $1,400 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,900 | $1,900 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $550 | $750 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 15.5 | 22.1 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.60 | 3.30 |
| Violent crime /100k | 430 | 450 |
| Avg summer high °F | 104 | 88 |
| Avg winter low °F | 41 | 27 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 4 |