Moving from Chicago, IL to Baltimore, MD
Chicago to Baltimore is a move of about 770 miles. Median rent is $1,611 a month in Baltimore and $1,430 in Chicago, and the median home is $391,300 against $323,000. State income tax is up to 5.75% in Baltimore and a flat 4.95% in Chicago. Property tax runs 1.00% of home value in Baltimore and 1.98% in Chicago.
Moving to Baltimore costs about
$330/mo
more than Chicago each month, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
Baltimore has local income taxes most comparisons ignore
On $80,000, local income taxes in Baltimore come to roughly $1,920 a year on average. That is on top of $3,436 in state income tax. Local taxes add roughly half as much again.
Chicago vs Baltimore at a glance
| Chicago | Baltimore | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $323,000 | $391,300 |
| Median rent | $1,430/mo | $1,611/mo |
| State income tax | Flat 4.95% | Up to 5.75% |
| Property tax rate | 1.98% | 1.00% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 107 | 102 |
| Utilities | 84 | 110 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
Monthly cost of living: Chicago vs Baltimore
| Monthly | Chicago | Baltimore | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent) | $1,430 | $1,611 | +$181 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $318 | $286 | -$32 |
| Local income tax (state average) | None | $160 | +$160 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $96 | $93 | -$3 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,966 | $1,876 | -$90 |
| Utilities | $341 | $450 | +$109 |
| Total | +$325 | ||
Cost to move from Chicago to Baltimore
$2,000 to $4,500
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $550 to $800, against roughly $200 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 2-day trip yourself.
Housing and everyday prices here are for the metro area. Income and sales tax are set by state law and have no metro equivalent, so those come from Illinois and Maryland. Compare the whole states instead to see how each metro sits against the state it is in.
Run this with your own numbers
What jobs pay in Baltimore, after the cost of living
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Housing and price figures are metro-area medians or averages; income and sales tax are statewide. Neither will match any particular household.