Maryland Ranked 5th Most Expensive State in the Country
Maryland was recently ranked the fifth most expensive state in the U.S., according to the 2025 Cost of Bills Index by bill-pay service doxo.
The state scored 122, meaning monthly household bills, including mortgage, utilities, insurance and more, are 22 percent higher than the national median. Marylanders pay around $2,505 monthly, higher only than residents of California, Hawaii, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
The index covers 13 common bill categories, including rent, auto loan, gas, internet and health insurance. Contrast that with West Virginia, the least expensive state, where bills run about 44 percent below the national median.
Another cost-of-living metric from the World Population Review places Maryland as the seventh-most expensive state, with an overall cost-of-living index of 115.3, about 15 percent above average. Housing costs in Maryland soar roughly 66 percent higher than the national average, while healthcare tends to be comparatively lower.
Despite these high costs, Maryland remains one of the nation’s wealthiest states, ranking among the top in median household income, educational attainment and employment, thanks to proximity to Washington, D.C., and a strong federal workforce.
