Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Bethesda's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
Index: 100 = US city average. Values >100 mean more expensive, <100 means cheaper.
How far does your salary go in Bethesda?
Your $100,000 in Bethesda has the same purchasing power as $78,883 in the average US city. You'd need $21,117 more here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Bethesda's cost index of 127, sorted by closest match.
Bethesda, Maryland has a cost-of-living index of 127, which is 27% above the national average. The typical renter pays $2,312 per month. The median household earns $185,546 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $88,739 per year in Bethesda. Single renters typically want at least three times the $27,744 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
Bethesda is more expensive than most US cities. Overall prices are 27% above the national average.