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 | Bowie | Germantown | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,167/mo | $1,908/mo | 13.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $419,200 | $393,700 | 6.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $138,797 | $109,268 | 27.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 103.0 | 101.3 | 1.7% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 103.1 | 105.6 | 2.3% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 101.8 | 101.2 | 0.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.1 | 99.5 | 0.6% higher in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Bowie, you'd need $89,946 in Germantown to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Germantown, MD is about 10.1% cheaper overall than Bowie, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 19% lower in Germantown than in Bowie. If you earn $80,000 in Bowie, you'd need about $71,957 in Germantown to keep the same standard of living.