2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Bethesda, MD vs Portsmouth, VA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Portsmouth or is it cheaper to live in Bethesda?
- Portsmouth is 34.7% less expensive than Bethesda.

Which city has more affordable housing, Portsmouth or Bethesda?
- Portsmouth housing costs are 80.5% less expensive than Bethesda housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Bethesda or is Health Care more affordable in Portsmouth.
- Health related expenses are 19.1% more in Portsmouth.
 Bethesda, MDPortsmouth, VAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock90.4100
 Food & Groceries118.3  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock103.4100
 Housing360.4  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$229,900$338,100
 Utilities109  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock99.0100
 Miscellaneous146.7  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Bethesda    12 Reviews

Bethesda is awesome if you want to live near DC and in a relatively safe city that has few parking issues. Montgomery county has parking lots in downtown Bethesda and  More

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Amenities are plentiful, but costs continue to rise as do local and state taxes. Overall not a friendly place to  More

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Essentially an upscale suburb of Washington DC. Public transport is easy, there's plenty to do (though with none of the edginess of living closer in DC) and it's minutes  More

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Reviews for Portsmouth    4 Reviews

I have lived in Westhaven neighborhood in Portsmouth for 23 yrs. I have never smelled a paper mill in Portsmouth. I grew up in MA about a mile from one, so I know what  More

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Over 15 years ago

Housing not always  More

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Does anyone living near Portsmouth, VA smell a paper  More

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Start Your Review of Portsmouth


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