Bethesda, MD Cost Of Living

Demographics | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Bethesda, MD Summary

Cost of living in Bethesda research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Bethesda is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in Maryland, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

  • The cost of living index in Bethesda is 202, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Bethesda is 2.0x higher than the national average.

  • Bethesda ranks as the #192 cheapest in Maryland out of 194.

  • Bethesda ranks as the #6,326 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Bethesda is $1,107,991.

  • The median income in Bethesda is $191,348.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
202
Bethesda's Overall Cost Of Living
2.0x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Bethesda, MD?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Bethesda has an overall cost of living index of 202, which is 2.0x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Maryland, Bethesda has a cost of living index that's 1.7x higher than Maryland's index of 121.

The standard of living in Bethesda ranks as #192 most affordable out of the 194 places we measured in Maryland. By definition, that implies Bethesda ranks as the #2 most expensive place in the Old Line State.

For more reading on life in Bethesda, check out:

192 out of 194
In Maryland
6,326 out of 6,489
In America

Bethesda Cost Of Living Vs. Maryland

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Bethesda. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Bethesda is 110.

  • The Groceries index in Bethesda is 109.

  • The Health index in Bethesda is 99.

  • The Housing index in Bethesda is 415.

  • The Transportation index in Bethesda is 96.

  • The Utilities index in Bethesda is 109.

Living Expense Bethesda Maryland National Average
Overall 202 121 100
Services 110 105 100
Groceries 109 107 100
Health 99 96 100
Housing 415 150 100
Transportation 96 99 100
Utilities 109 113 100
For more reading on cost of living around Maryland, check out:
Bethesda Cost of Living Vs. MD

Bethesda, MD Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in Maryland, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Bethesda is $1,107,991.

  • The Median Rent in Bethesda is $2,437.

  • The Median Income in Bethesda is $191,348.

  • The Home Value To Income in Bethesda is 5.8x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Bethesda is 0.15x.

Statistic Bethesda Maryland United States
Median Home Value $1,107,991 $427,628 $303,400
Median Rent $2,437 $1,662 $1,348
Median Income $191,348 $101,652 $78,538
Home Value To Income 5.8x 4.2x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.15x 0.2x 0.21x
$1,107,991
Median Home Value
$2,437
Median Rent
$191,348
Median Income

Bethesda, MD Costs By Category

Detailed Bethesda Services Costs Vs. Maryland

Item Bethesda Maryland
Shampoo $1.51 $1.28
Movie $15.69 $12.13
Bowling $24.83 $18
Haircut $26.11 $24.26
Beauty Salon $70.08 $45.56

Detailed Bethesda Groceries Costs Vs. Maryland

Item Bethesda Maryland
Ground Beef $6.24 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.4 $1.57
Milk $4.78 $4.67
Potatoes $5.49 $4.93
Pizza $12.56 $12.09
Beer $11.1 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.81 $3.7

Detailed Bethesda Health Costs Vs. Maryland

Item Bethesda Maryland
Optometrist $92.0 $125.68
Doctor $135.03 $135.78
Dentist $117.67 $113.29

Detailed Bethesda Transportation Costs Vs. Maryland

Item Bethesda Maryland
Gasoline $3.25 $3.46
Tire Balancing $59.0 $59.92

Detailed Bethesda Utilities Costs Vs. Maryland

Item Bethesda Maryland
All Electricity $222.47 $193.99
Phone $197.37 $192.25

Bethesda SnackAbility

7.5
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
9/10
Housing
10
Affordability
7
Diversity
8.5
Safety
N/A
Amenities
9.5
Education
10
Commute
5

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Bethesda

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Bethesda. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Olney, MD has a cost of living index of 153, 0.8x Bethesda.

  • Clarksburg, MD has a cost of living index of 152, 0.8x Bethesda.

  • North Laurel, MD has a cost of living index of 132, 0.7x Bethesda.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Bethesda
Olney, MD 36,000 153 0.8x
Clarksburg, MD 29,246 152 0.8x
North Laurel, MD 25,201 132 0.7x
North Potomac, MD 23,994 172 0.9x
Kemp Mill, MD 14,437 145 0.7x
Colesville, MD 14,075 140 0.7x
Chevy Chase, MD 9,484 257 1.3x
South Kensington, MD 8,057 191 0.9x
Four Corners, MD 7,785 153 0.8x
Layhill, MD 5,392 145 0.7x

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