2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Gaithersburg, MD vs Columbia, MD

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Columbia or is it cheaper to live in Gaithersburg?
- Columbia is 7.7% less expensive than Gaithersburg.

Which city has more affordable housing, Columbia or Gaithersburg?
- Columbia housing costs are 5.7% less expensive than Gaithersburg housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Gaithersburg or is Health Care more affordable in Columbia.
- Health related expenses are 0.3% less in Columbia.
 Gaithersburg, MDColumbia, MDUnited States
 Overall  Unlock127.9100
 Food & Groceries111.5  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock86.5100
 Housing151.5  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$441,800$338,100
 Utilities106  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock107.9100
 Miscellaneous146.4  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Gaithersburg    10 Reviews

We recently sold our family home of 20+ years in Potomac, MD and moved just down the road to Gaithersburg. We have nothing but good things to say about the people  More

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Over 10 years ago

The city of Gaithersburg offers all of the employment opportunities of being within commuting range of D.C. without the congestion. Homes are more affordable and you  More

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The state has the potential to be a great place to live ... but that 'Reality’ is just slipping away. The current leadership has done a really bang-up job creating so  More

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Reviews for Columbia    28 Reviews

Over 5 years ago

Lived here for a while, beautiful opportunities, pays well, overall nice  More

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Been here 30 years was great at first but once they added a transit bus from baltimore to columbia 15-18 years ago that was the beginning of the end. And about 5 years  More

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Columbia can be described in one word: unequal. The neighborhood I live in, River Hill, is jam-packed with almost million-dollar homes, while the neighborhoods of Long  More

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