2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Columbia, MD vs Elk Grove, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Elk Grove or is it cheaper to live in Columbia?
- Elk Grove is 0.5% less expensive than Columbia.

Which city has more affordable housing, Elk Grove or Columbia?
- Elk Grove housing costs are 35.3% more expensive than Columbia housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Columbia or is Health Care more affordable in Elk Grove.
- Health related expenses are 20.2% more in Elk Grove.
 Columbia, MDElk Grove, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock127.2100
 Food & Groceries104.5  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock104.0100
 Housing142.9  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$597,800$338,100
 Utilities110  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock128.0100
 Miscellaneous151.6  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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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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Reviews for Elk Grove    15 Reviews

I grew up in the area around Elk Grove and it was a very small rural town up to the year 2000. We moved to ELk grove in 2009 and commuted to work in Sacramento. At  More

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Elk Grove is a very diverse city. A long time ago it use to be very white. Now the white population is about 40%, then next majority race are Asian, then Hispanic,  More

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Over 11 years ago

Our neighborhood is o.k. but it is expensive to live here and the air is oppressive during the summer when it gets hot for a week or more. Days over 95 and nights of 75.  More

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