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.
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 2026
/10
Population: 68,854
Cost Of Living Index: 120
Median Income: $79,540
Average Home Price: $557,760
Home Price To Income Ratio: 7.0x
More on Portland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Portland is 120. The median income in Portland comes in at $79,540 and the average home value is $557,760 for 2026.
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Population: 26,930
Cost Of Living Index: 119
Median Income: $86,838
Average Home Price: $517,131
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.0x
More on South Portland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in South Portland is 119. The median income in South Portland comes in at $86,838 and the average home value is $517,131 for 2026.
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Population: 22,498
Cost Of Living Index: 115
Median Income: $72,333
Average Home Price: $505,511
Home Price To Income Ratio: 7.0x
More on Biddeford: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Biddeford is 115. The median income in Biddeford comes in at $72,333 and the average home value is $505,511 for 2026.
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Population: 20,819
Cost Of Living Index: 114
Median Income: $92,241
Average Home Price: $520,612
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.6x
More on Saco: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Saco is 114. The median income in Saco comes in at $92,241 and the average home value is $520,612 for 2026.
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Population: 20,775
Cost Of Living Index: 109
Median Income: $85,038
Average Home Price: $449,009
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.3x
More on Westbrook: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Westbrook is 109. The median income in Westbrook comes in at $85,038 and the average home value is $449,009 for 2026.
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Population: 8,815
Cost Of Living Index: 104
Median Income: $69,390
Average Home Price: $365,662
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.3x
More on Bath: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Bath is 104. The median income in Bath comes in at $69,390 and the average home value is $365,662 for 2026.
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Population: 6,986
Cost Of Living Index: 104
Median Income: $67,679
Average Home Price: $380,696
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.6x
More on Belfast: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Belfast is 104. The median income in Belfast comes in at $67,679 and the average home value is $380,696 for 2026.
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Population: 7,035
Cost Of Living Index: 102
Median Income: $56,533
Average Home Price: $340,483
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.0x
More on Rockland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Rockland is 102. The median income in Rockland comes in at $56,533 and the average home value is $340,483 for 2026.
/10
Population: 24,602
Cost Of Living Index: 101
Median Income: $66,647
Average Home Price: $321,212
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.8x
More on Auburn: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Auburn is 101. The median income in Auburn comes in at $66,647 and the average home value is $321,212 for 2026.
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Population: 9,652
Cost Of Living Index: 101
Median Income: $66,613
Average Home Price: $297,006
Home Price To Income Ratio: 4.5x
More on Brewer: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The overall cost of living in Brewer is 101. The median income in Brewer comes in at $66,613 and the average home value is $297,006 for 2026.
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 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 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.
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.
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 | 120 | 68,854 | $79,540 | $557,760 | 7.0x |
| 2 | South Portland | 119 | 26,930 | $86,838 | $517,131 | 6.0x |
| 3 | Biddeford | 115 | 22,498 | $72,333 | $505,511 | 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 | $380,696 | 5.6x |
| 8 | Rockland | 102 | 7,035 | $56,533 | $340,483 | 6.0x |
| 9 | Auburn | 101 | 24,602 | $66,647 | $321,212 | 4.8x |
| 10 | Brewer | 101 | 9,652 | $66,613 | $297,006 | 4.5x |
| 11 | Lewiston | 99 | 38,324 | $55,393 | $296,287 | 5.3x |
| 12 | Ellsworth | 99 | 8,657 | $77,375 | $346,768 | 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 | $246,066 | 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 | $171,302 | 3.1x |
| 19 | Caribou | 90 | 7,382 | $53,709 | $156,305 | 2.9x |