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 2019-2023 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 2025.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What’s the most expensive place to live in Maine? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Portland is the most expensive place to live in Maine.
Caribou (the cheapest place to live in Maine) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.
And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about Maine and the most expensive cities in the country:
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Maine For 2025
/10
Population: 68,505
Cost Of Living Index: 116
Median Income: $76,174
Average Home Price: $452,600
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.9x
More on Portland: Data
The overall cost of living in Portland is 116. The median income in Portland comes in at $76,174 and the average home value is $452,600 for 2025.
/10
Population: 26,780
Cost Of Living Index: 113
Median Income: $84,563
Average Home Price: $405,800
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.8x
More on South Portland: Data
The overall cost of living in South Portland is 113. The median income in South Portland comes in at $84,563 and the average home value is $405,800 for 2025.
/10
Population: 20,636
Cost Of Living Index: 113
Median Income: $84,328
Average Home Price: $370,300
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.4x
More on Saco: Data
The overall cost of living in Saco is 113. The median income in Saco comes in at $84,328 and the average home value is $370,300 for 2025.
/10
Population: 20,484
Cost Of Living Index: 112
Median Income: $85,868
Average Home Price: $341,800
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.0x
More on Westbrook: Data
The overall cost of living in Westbrook is 112. The median income in Westbrook comes in at $85,868 and the average home value is $341,800 for 2025.
5. Biddeford
/10
Population: 22,463
Cost Of Living Index: 110
Median Income: $69,794
Average Home Price: $349,300
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.0x
More on Biddeford:
The overall cost of living in Biddeford is 110. The median income in Biddeford comes in at $69,794 and the average home value is $349,300 for 2025.
/10
Population: 6,985
Cost Of Living Index: 109
Median Income: $61,322
Average Home Price: $307,700
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.0x
More on Belfast: Data
The overall cost of living in Belfast is 109. The median income in Belfast comes in at $61,322 and the average home value is $307,700 for 2025.
/10
Population: 9,654
Cost Of Living Index: 107
Median Income: $51,490
Average Home Price: $218,100
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.2x
More on Brewer: Data
The overall cost of living in Brewer is 107. The median income in Brewer comes in at $51,490 and the average home value is $218,100 for 2025.
/10
Population: 8,550
Cost Of Living Index: 107
Median Income: $70,990
Average Home Price: $214,500
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.0x
More on Ellsworth: Data
The overall cost of living in Ellsworth is 107. The median income in Ellsworth comes in at $70,990 and the average home value is $214,500 for 2025.
/10
Population: 24,294
Cost Of Living Index: 105
Median Income: $66,552
Average Home Price: $254,600
Home Price To Income Ratio: 3.8x
More on Auburn: Data
The overall cost of living in Auburn is 105. The median income in Auburn comes in at $66,552 and the average home value is $254,600 for 2025.
/10
Population: 8,801
Cost Of Living Index: 105
Median Income: $65,565
Average Home Price: $285,400
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.4x
More on Bath: Data
The overall cost of living in Bath is 105. The median income in Bath comes in at $65,565 and the average home value is $285,400 for 2025.
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Pine Tree State For 2025
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Maine are:
- How much money do I make?
- How much do I 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 2019-2023 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 2025. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive places to live in Maine.
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Maine For 2025
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, Saco, Westbrook, Biddeford, Belfast, Brewer, Ellsworth, Auburn, and Bath.
Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Maine according to the data:
- Caribou
- Presque Isle
- Waterville
For more Maine reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Maine
- Cheapest Places To Live In Maine
- Most Dangerous Cities In Maine
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Maine
- Safest Places In Maine
- Worst Places To Live In Maine
Most Expensive Cities In Maine
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland | 116 | 68,505 | $76,174 | $452,600 | 5.9x |
| 2 | South Portland | 113 | 26,780 | $84,563 | $405,800 | 4.8x |
| 3 | Saco | 113 | 20,636 | $84,328 | $370,300 | 4.4x |
| 4 | Westbrook | 112 | 20,484 | $85,868 | $341,800 | 4.0x |
| 5 | Biddeford | 110 | 22,463 | $69,794 | $349,300 | 5.0x |
| 6 | Belfast | 109 | 6,985 | $61,322 | $307,700 | 5.0x |
| 7 | Brewer | 107 | 9,654 | $51,490 | $218,100 | 4.2x |
| 8 | Ellsworth | 107 | 8,550 | $70,990 | $214,500 | 3.0x |
| 9 | Auburn | 105 | 24,294 | $66,552 | $254,600 | 3.8x |
| 10 | Bath | 105 | 8,801 | $65,565 | $285,400 | 4.4x |
| 11 | Rockland | 104 | 6,991 | $55,276 | $234,400 | 4.2x |
| 12 | Bangor | 103 | 31,663 | $58,096 | $206,300 | 3.6x |
| 13 | Lewiston | 101 | 37,886 | $56,558 | $214,200 | 3.8x |
| 14 | Augusta | 101 | 18,999 | $48,756 | $188,900 | 3.9x |
| 15 | Old Town | 101 | 7,439 | $49,329 | $183,200 | 3.7x |
| 16 | Gardiner | 100 | 6,047 | $58,152 | $198,100 | 3.4x |
| 17 | Waterville | 99 | 16,704 | $47,489 | $173,700 | 3.7x |
| 18 | Presque Isle | 95 | 8,736 | $57,396 | $142,400 | 2.5x |
| 19 | Caribou | 93 | 7,427 | $54,271 | $120,300 | 2.2x |