City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Bethesda | Silver Spring | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,312/mo | $1,826/mo | 26.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,088,000 | $606,100 | 79.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $185,546 | $95,213 | 94.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 103.0 | 103.0 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 103.1 | 103.1 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 101.8 | 101.8 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.1 | 100.1 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bethesda, you'd need $96,166 in Silver Spring to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Silver Spring, MD is about 3.8% cheaper overall than Bethesda, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 7% lower in Silver Spring than in Bethesda. If you earn $80,000 in Bethesda, you'd need about $76,933 in Silver Spring to keep the same standard of living.