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 | Columbia | Silver Spring | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,895/mo | $1,826/mo | 3.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $458,700 | $606,100 | 24.3% lower in A |
| Median household income | $124,537 | $95,213 | 30.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 108.2 | 107.4 | 0.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 107.9 | 106.8 | 1.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 97.2 | 1.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 121.3 | 119.2 | 1.8% 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 Columbia, you'd need $97,550 in Silver Spring to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Silver Spring, MD is about 2.5% cheaper overall than Columbia, MD, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% lower in Silver Spring than in Columbia. If you earn $80,000 in Columbia, you'd need about $78,040 in Silver Spring to keep the same standard of living.