

Baltimore vs Richmond
$60/mo less in Richmond
BaltimoreRichmondAbout 139 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Richmond costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,331/mo in Richmond. $2,391/mo in Baltimore. −$720 a year.
Baltimore
$2,391
left each month
Richmond
$2,331
−$60 vs Baltimore
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 280 households moved Baltimore → Richmond (avg AGI $75,304). 105 went the other way. The whole move →
−$60 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Baltimore | Richmond | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,250 | $7,550 | −$700 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,389 | $1,912 | −$477 |
| Take-home pay | $5,861 | $5,638 | −$223 |
| Rent | $1,509 | $1,362 | −$147 |
| Getting around | $482 | $553 | +$71 |
| Groceries | $408 | $384 | −$24 |
| Healthcare | $459 | $432 | −$27 |
| Utilities | $255 | $240 | −$15 |
| Everything else | $357 | $336 | −$21 |
| Left over | $2,391 | $2,331 | −$60 |
Salary to match Baltimore
$91,500
Gross pay in Richmond that leaves the same amount as $99,000 in Baltimore.
Tax difference
+$3,234
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 29.0% in Baltimore, 25.3% in Richmond.
More about Richmond
Baltimore, MD in full
DC salaries within commuting distance, at Baltimore prices.
Richmond, VA in full
DC's cheaper cousin, two hours from both mountains and ocean.
The other way
Start in Richmond.
Richmond → Baltimore →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Richmond than Baltimore?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Richmond leaves about $60 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,509 in Baltimore and $1,362 in Richmond.
Does Richmond have state income tax?
Richmond is in Virginia, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Baltimore to Richmond?
The paycheck is taxed in Virginia. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Baltimore and Richmond changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.