Cost of living in Auburn 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 Auburn is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Maine, 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 Auburn is 104, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Auburn is 1.0x higher than the national average.
Auburn ranks as the #14 cheapest in Maine out of 30.
Auburn ranks as the #3,063 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Auburn is $324,143.
The median income in Auburn is $66,552.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Auburn has an overall cost of living index of 104, which is 1.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Maine, Auburn has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Maine's index of 103.
The standard of living in Auburn ranks as #14 most affordable out of the 30 places we measured in Maine. By definition, that implies Auburn ranks as the #16 most expensive place in the Pine Tree State.
For more reading on life in Auburn, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Auburn. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Auburn is 107.
The Groceries index in Auburn is 102.
The Health index in Auburn is 104.
The Housing index in Auburn is 93.
The Transportation index in Auburn is 107.
The Utilities index in Auburn is 107.
| Living Expense | Auburn | Maine | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 104 | 103 | 100 | |
| Services | 107 | 107 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 102 | 103 | 100 | |
| Health | 104 | 104 | 100 | |
| Housing | 93 | 93 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 107 | 110 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 107 | 105 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Maine, 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 Auburn is $324,143.
The Median Rent in Auburn is $983.
The Median Income in Auburn is $66,552.
The Home Value To Income in Auburn is 4.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Auburn is 0.18x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Auburn. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Portland, ME has a cost of living index of 122, 1.2x Auburn.
Lewiston, ME has a cost of living index of 101, 1.0x Auburn.
South Portland, ME has a cost of living index of 120, 1.2x Auburn.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Auburn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, ME | 68,505 | 122 | 1.2x |
| Lewiston, ME | 37,886 | 101 | 1.0x |
| South Portland, ME | 26,780 | 120 | 1.2x |
| Saco, ME | 20,636 | 117 | 1.1x |
| Westbrook, ME | 20,484 | 112 | 1.1x |
| Bath, ME | 8,801 | 105 | 1.0x |
| Gorham, ME | 7,365 | 121 | 1.2x |
| Topsham, ME | 6,962 | 111 | 1.1x |
| Yarmouth, ME | 6,293 | 128 | 1.2x |