City cost comparison

Baltimore vs Ann Arbor

Housing, childcare, healthcare, food, and education — side by side for families weighing Baltimore, MD against Ann Arbor, MI.

Comparison matrix

Emerald badges flag the cheaper city for each line item; rose marks when the other city wins on cost.

Metric	Baltimore, MD	Ann Arbor, MI	Difference
HousingFamily housing premium / month	$918 Illustrative estimate — methodology	$972 Illustrative estimate — methodology	+6% cheaper in Baltimore
ChildcareAvg monthly (infant → school-age)	$1,483 Illustrative estimate — methodology	$1,442 Illustrative estimate — methodology	+3% cheaper in Ann Arbor
HealthcareFamily premium share + child OOP / month	$700 Illustrative estimate — methodology	$673 Illustrative estimate — methodology	+4% cheaper in Ann Arbor
FoodPer child / month	$374 Illustrative estimate — methodology	$374 Illustrative estimate — methodology	About the same
EducationAnnual baseline ÷ 12	$93 Illustrative estimate — methodology	$92 Illustrative estimate — methodology	+1% cheaper in Ann Arbor

Curated planning baselines (updated 2026-01-15 / 2026-01-15) — not live survey pulls. Verify local rates before major decisions.