Before you decide to relocate to Maine, it’s important to research the exact cost of living around the state. And that’s what we’re going to help you do.
These are the places in Maine that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state.
We used Saturday Night Science to compare the 2020-2024 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 19 places in Maine with more than 6,000 people.
After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in Maine for 2026.
$79,540 median income · $557,760 median home · #1 home prices in Maine
Located in
Cumberland County, Maine
Portland is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine, with a population of 66,937 as of 2016. This makes it the fourth least populous city in the U.S. to be the most populous in its state. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, more than one-third of Maine’s total population. The Old Port district is frequented by tourists, while Portland Head Light is also a destination. The city seal depicts a phoenix rising from ashes, which is a reference to the recoveries from four devastating fires. Portland was named after the English Isle of Portland, and the city of Portland, Oregon, was in turn named after Portland, Maine.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$86,838 median income · $517,132 median home · #3 home prices in Maine
Located in
Cumberland County, Maine
South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state, incorporated in 1898. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,002. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is situated on Portland Harbor and overlooks the skyline of Portland and the islands of Casco Bay. Due to South Portland’s close proximity to air, marine, rail, and highway transportation options, the city has become a center for retail and industry in the region.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$72,333 median income · $505,512 median home · #4 home prices in Maine
Located in
York County, Maine
Biddeford is a city in York County, Maine, United States. It is the principal commercial center of York County. The population was 21,277 at the 2010 census. Twin city of Saco, Biddeford includes the resort community of Biddeford Pool, Fortunes Rocks and Granite Point. The town is the site of the University of New England and the annual La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival. First visited by Europeans in 1616, it is the site of one of the earliest European settlements in the United States.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$92,241 median income · $520,612 median home · #2 home prices in Maine
Located in
York County, Maine
Saco is a city in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 18,482 at the 2010 census. It is home to Ferry Beach State Park, Funtown Splashtown USA, Thornton Academy, as well as General Dynamics Armament Systems, a subsidiary of the defense contractor General Dynamics. Saco sees much tourism during summer months, due to its amusement parks, Ferry Beach State Park, and proximity to Old Orchard Beach.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$85,038 median income · $449,009 median home · #5 home prices in Maine
Located in
Cumberland County, Maine
Westbrook is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States and a suburb of Portland. The population was 17,494 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$69,390 median income · $365,662 median home · #7 home prices in Maine
Located in
Sagadahoc County, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. The population was 8,514 at the 2010 census, and 8,357 as of 2013, the population has had a change of -10.2% since 2000. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County, which includes one city and 10 towns. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its 19th-century architecture. It is home to the Bath Iron Works and Heritage Days Festival, held annually on the Fourth of July weekend. It is commonly known as “The City of Ships.” Bath is part of the metropolitan statistical area of Greater Portland.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$67,679 median income · $380,697 median home · #6 home prices in Maine
Located in
Waldo County, Maine
Belfast is a city in Waldo County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,668. Located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River estuary on Penobscot Bay, Belfast is the county seat of Waldo County. The seaport has a wealth of antique architecture in several historic districts, and remains popular with tourists.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$56,533 median income · $340,484 median home · #9 home prices in Maine
Located in
Knox County, Maine
Rockland is a city in Knox County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,297. It is the county seat of Knox County. The city is a popular tourist destination. It is a departure point for the Maine State Ferry Service to the islands of Penobscot Bay: Vinalhaven, North Haven and Matinicus.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$66,647 median income · $321,213 median home · #10 home prices in Maine
Located in
Androscoggin County, Maine
Auburn is a city in and the county seat of Androscoggin County, Maine, United States. The population was 23,055 at the 2010 census. Auburn and Lewiston are known locally as the Twin Cities or Lewiston-Auburn.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$66,613 median income · $297,006 median home · #11 home prices in Maine
Located in
Penobscot County, Maine
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Maine’s statewide median.
Maine statewide median: $407,566
Maine statewide median: $74,733
On the map
Mapping the most expensive places in Maine
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Pine Tree State For 2026
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Maine are how much money you make and how much you have to spend to live there.
You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.
For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.
With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 around incomes and costs. They are:
- Overall Cost Of Living Index
- Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
- Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
- Median Home Price
You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in Maine to figure out which is the most expensive.
You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.
So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 19 places in Maine that have more than 6,000 people.
The place with the highest cost of living in Maine according to the data is Portland. We updated this article for 2026. This article is our eleventh time ranking the most expensive places to live in Maine.
The full plate
Most Expensive Cities In Maine
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland | 120 | 68,854 | $79,540 | $557,760 | 7.0x |
| 2 | South Portland | 119 | 26,930 | $86,838 | $517,132 | 6.0x |
| 3 | Biddeford | 115 | 22,498 | $72,333 | $505,512 | 7.0x |
| 4 | Saco | 114 | 20,819 | $92,241 | $520,612 | 5.6x |
| 5 | Westbrook | 109 | 20,775 | $85,038 | $449,009 | 5.3x |
| 6 | Bath | 104 | 8,815 | $69,390 | $365,662 | 5.3x |
| 7 | Belfast | 104 | 6,986 | $67,679 | $380,697 | 5.6x |
| 8 | Rockland | 102 | 7,035 | $56,533 | $340,484 | 6.0x |
| 9 | Auburn | 101 | 24,602 | $66,647 | $321,213 | 4.8x |
| 10 | Brewer | 101 | 9,652 | $66,613 | $297,006 | 4.5x |
| 11 | Lewiston | 99 | 38,324 | $55,393 | $296,288 | 5.3x |
| 12 | Ellsworth | 99 | 8,657 | $77,375 | $346,769 | 4.5x |
| 13 | Bangor | 98 | 31,938 | $59,942 | $281,560 | 4.7x |
| 14 | Augusta | 98 | 19,077 | $47,979 | $273,948 | 5.7x |
| 15 | Old Town | 97 | 7,470 | $51,585 | $246,067 | 4.8x |
| 16 | Gardiner | 97 | 6,088 | $71,782 | $284,200 | 4.0x |
| 17 | Waterville | 96 | 17,077 | $53,580 | $243,116 | 4.5x |
| 18 | Presque Isle | 91 | 8,736 | $55,768 | $171,303 | 3.1x |
| 19 | Caribou | 90 | 7,382 | $53,709 | $156,306 | 2.9x |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, Zillow research. 19 places with more than 6,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Maine For 2026
Well, there you have it, the places in Maine that have the highest cost of living, with Portland ranking as the most expensive city in the Pine Tree State.
The most expensive cities in Maine are Portland, South Portland, Biddeford, Saco, Westbrook, Bath, Belfast, Rockland, Auburn, and Brewer.
