Moving from Memphis to Baltimore
Moving to Baltimore costs you $366 a month
−$4,392 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Memphis leftover
$2,756
a month after tax and rent
Baltimore leftover
$2,390
−$366 vs Memphis
In 2022-2023, 25 households moved Memphis → Baltimore (avg AGI $52,880). The whole move →
| Per month | Memphis | Baltimore | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,083 | $8,251 | +$1,168 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,401 | $2,389 | +$988 |
| Take-home pay | $5,682 | $5,862 | +$180 |
| Rent | $1,058 | $1,511 | +$453 |
| Getting around | $548 | $482 | −$66 |
| Groceries | $364 | $408 | +$44 |
| Healthcare | $410 | $459 | +$49 |
| Utilities | $228 | $255 | +$27 |
| Everything else | $319 | $357 | +$38 |
| Left over | $2,756 | $2,390 | −$366 |
To break even in Baltimore, you'd need to earn
$106,000
Household gross, versus $85,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Memphis does now.
The tax difference alone
−$7,698
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 19.8% in Memphis, 29.0% in Baltimore.
More about Baltimore
Memphis, TN in full
No income tax and a logistics economy; wages trail the national median.
Baltimore, MD in full
DC salaries within commuting distance, at Baltimore prices.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Baltimore on Baltimore wages.
Baltimore → Memphis →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Baltimore than Memphis?
A one-bedroom is about $1,058 in Memphis versus $1,511 in Baltimore. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $366 a month lower in Baltimore. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Baltimore have state income tax?
Baltimore is in Maryland, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 3.20%.
What changes if you move from Memphis to Baltimore?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Maryland tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.