As a single guy living downtown, I find Annapolis to be a bit on the pricey side, but not outrageous compared to other coastal cities. Housing is definitely the biggest expense – even a modest 1-bedroom apartment can easily run $2,000+ in the city center. Groceries are average, maybe a tad high for some specialty items.

Eating out is where it really adds up if you’re not careful. A casual meal for one at a restaurant downtown is rarely less than $20-25 after tax and tip. I try to take advantage of happy hour deals when I can. Entertainment is also pricey with concerts, shows, and tourist attractions charging premium prices.

Transportation has been reasonable for me since I live downtown and can walk or bike most places. Parking can be a hassle though. Overall, Annapolis is manageable on a decent single income if you’re smart about expenses, but it’s not a cheap place to live that’s for sure.

Coming from a family perspective, Annapolis has been more expensive than I anticipated, especially with two young kids. The cost of preschool/daycare is just staggering – we’re paying almost $2,000 per month for our toddler to attend a decent private preschool program. Once they start elementary school, thankfully the public schools here are good.

Housing is our other major expense. We wanted enough space for the kids, so we had to move a bit outside the city center to afford a 3-bedroom place, but even in the suburbs, rent pushes $3,000 a month. Groceries, healthcare, and utilities are all a bit above national averages from what I can tell.

That said, there are some advantages cost-wise to living here – no car is needed if you live downtown, which is a huge savings. And there are lots of free activities for kids like parks and museums. My family makes a solid dual income, but we still have to budget carefully. It’s not an easy place to get by on a single average salary, that’s for sure.

As a retiree living on a fixed income, I’ve found Annapolis to be manageable overall, but housing is definitely a challenge. I own my modest 2-bedroom condo outright, thankfully, because rents have just skyrocketed in recent years. Even with my mortgage paid off, I still pay almost $500 per month in homeowner’s fees, taxes, and utilities for a pretty basic place.

Groceries are reasonable if you shop smartly – the Amish markets have great produce at good prices. Healthcare is pricey though, even with Medicare, as Annapolis doesn’t have a ton of in-network options. Entertainment can add up too if you want to go to events and shows regularly.

Transportation has been my biggest savings living here – I rarely drive anymore and take the local shuttles and buses which are free for seniors. The lack of public transit was a big drawback when I was still working though. Overall, Annapolis is probably middle-of-the-road cost-wise for retirees, but the housing market is getting harder to keep up with on a limited budget.

I think a lot comes down to your lifestyle and priorities when it comes to the cost of living in Annapolis. As a single professional, I definitely splurge in some areas like nice apartment in a trendy part of downtown ($2,500/month for a luxury 1-bed), dining out regularly ($300+ per month), and enjoying the nightlife/social scene which can get pricey with cover charges, drinks, Ubers etc.

At the same time, I save a lot by not having a car (it’s so walkable here) and keeping other costs like groceries, gym membership, etc. pretty low-cost. My company also has good health insurance which helps a ton with medical expenses. If I had to pay rent for a family though, I’m not sure how I’d swing it while maintaining my current lifestyle.

Annapolis is a relatively affordable place to live if you’re smart about expenses and don’t mind having roommates or living a bit outside the city center. But if you want to take full advantage of the downtown amenities and have your own luxury apartment within walking distance to everything, it’s going to cost you for sure. There are trade-offs either way.

My family has lived in the Annapolis area for generations, and I’d say the cost of living has gotten really out of hand, especially in the last 5-10 years or so. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always been a bit pricier than the national average given the desirable location. But the combination of rising housing costs, taxes, fees, and general inflation has made it really tough, even for solidly middle-class families like mine.

We own our modest 3-bed, 2-bath house outright, thank goodness, because I can’t even imagine trying to buy a decent family home at today’s prices – $500k is the minimum and that’s for a pretty basic place. Property taxes, utilities, childcare if you have young kids, healthcare – it all adds up so quickly. We’re a dual-income household and still have to budget pretty tightly.

At the same time, I know we’re lucky to live in such a beautiful area with great amenities and quality of life. But it does make me worry about how realistic it is for young people starting out to be able to afford living here long-term. The overall costs are getting out of control in my opinion. Businesses and services have had to raise prices to keep up as well. It’s still possible to live here comfortably if your income is solid, but you’re certainly paying a premium.

As someone born and raised in Annapolis, I’ve definitely seen the costs go up a lot over the years, especially for housing and anything in the downtown/historic district areas. When I was a kid, a lot of regular working families could still afford to live right in the city. Now those cute rowhouses are going for $600k+ and it’s mostly wealthy out-of-towners and retirees who can afford to live downtown unless you got in years ago.

That said, there are still relatively affordable(ish) pockets in the suburbs and outer neighborhoods if you’re willing to have a bit of a commute. We bought a decent 3-bed rambler about 20 mins outside the city center for $375k a few years back. Not cheap, but way more affordable than trying to be downtown. Groceries, gas, and utilities are all pretty standard based on my experience.

My biggest gripe is how expensive it is to go out and do stuff in Annapolis itself – eatery prices downtown are crazy, a family of 4 can easily spend $100 for a casual meal. Same goes for any events, museums, activities, etc. They really seem to take advantage of the tourism and disposable income around here. It makes it hard to take full advantage of living here if you’re on a budget. But overall, I’d still say it’s very livable, especially if you can avoid the pricey downtown scene.

I’m a single guy who works remotely, so I can be a bit more flexible with living costs. I spent a couple years renting a nice but small 1-bed apartment right in downtown Annapolis and really enjoyed the convenience and vibe, but yeah, it was pretty pricey at around $2,200 a month.

To save some money, I ended up moving to a bigger 2-bed rental in a quieter neighborhood about 15 minutes outside the city center. I’m paying under $1,700 now which is way more reasonable. Sure, I have to drive more, but the savings are significant.

Other than housing, my costs are pretty average I’d say. Groceries are tolerably priced if you stick to basics. Going out for dinner and drinks is where Annapolis can get expensive fast if you’re not careful. Making my own food at home helps a lot.

Cell/Internet bills are standard. Healthcare has been a struggle though as the options in-network with my insurance are very limited in this area. Entertainment-wise, there are lots of free outdoor activities which is a plus. But concerts, events, etc. tend to be on the pricier side. Overall, very manageable for singles, but can add up quickly if you’re not disciplined.

I’ve lived in Annapolis for about 5 years now and while I love it here, I can’t deny that it’s an expensive place to live, especially if you want to be in any of the trendy, desirable areas close to downtown. My spouse and I are DINKs (duel income, no kids) which helps a lot – not sure how we’d swing it otherwise.

Even with two professional incomes, housing is by far our biggest monthly expense. We pay around $3,200 for a nice 2-bed, 2-bath apartment that’s walking distance to restaurants and nightlife. That amount would get you WAY more space and amenities in many other cities. But we choose to live in this luxury complex for the amenities and location.

Groceries, utilities, transportation, etc. don’t seem too out-of-line compared to other cities we’ve lived in. But it’s the little things that add up – Annapolis has very few discount stores, so you end up paying premium prices for clothes, household goods, etc. Eating out is also quite pricey, with a casual meal for two rarely being under $60-70 after tax/tip. We mostly save that for special occasions.

Entertainment can also get expensive quickly between concert/show tickets, cover charges, Ubers, etc. But there are free events too. Overall, you’re definitely paying a premium to live in this charming waterfront city, but it can be very worth it if you have the finances to truly take advantage of the downtown lifestyle. Just have to be smart about spending.

Annapolis has a bit of a split personality when it comes to cost of living in my experience. On one hand, if you want to live right in the heart of the historic downtown area and take full advantage of the waterfront amenities, dining, nightlife etc. it’s going to cost you an arm and a leg. The housing prices and rents immediately surrounding the downtown district are just obscene.

On the other hand, if you’re willing to live 10-15 minutes outside the city center, it becomes much more affordable in the surrounding suburbs and residential areas. We actually own a decent 4-bed, 3-bath home about 20 minutes from downtown that we bought for under $450k maybe 8 years ago – something comparable right in central Annapolis would easily be $200k+ more.

For my family of four, keeping our housing costs relatively low has allowed us to still enjoy everything Annapolis has to offer while keeping other expenses like groceries, utilities, entertainment, etc. in check. We don’t go out to eat constantly, but can treat ourselves occasionally without breaking the bank. The public schools are also great which is a big money-saver.

My advice is don’t get caught up in having to live in the most expensive, tourist-centric areas of Annapolis itself. If you’re open to commuting a bit, there are definitely affordable pockets nearby that allow you to take advantage of the amenities without the punishing costs of living downtown. It’s a great area, but you have to be smart about housing to make it work on a budget.

Annapolis gets a lot of hype for being an expensive place to live, and there’s definitely truth to that if your expectations are to live large right in the heart of downtown and all its maritime glory. But I’d push back a bit on the notion that it’s unaffordable or unreasonably overpriced across the board.

My experience as a single, maritime professional is that while housing costs can indeed be very high if you want to live downtown, there are still relatively affordable options if you expand your search area slightly outside the absolute core.

I currently rent a nice modern 1-bed about 10 minutes outside downtown for around $1,600 a month. Not cheap, but pretty reasonable for this area. Groceries don’t seem too out-of-line compared to other coastal towns I’ve lived in. Eating out is probably a bit above average, but manageable if you keep it casual.

The big savings for me has been lack of a car – I can walk, bike, or take public transit pretty much everywhere I need to go. Makes a huge difference in transportation/gas costs that people often overlook. Public transit is lacking for some areas farther out though.

Entertainment can add up if you regularly go to pricey shows and events, but there are also a ton of free festivals, outdoor concerts, etc. if you pick your spots. Overall, I feel I get great value living in an area with such an incredible waterfront setting, history, and maritime culture. But you do have to make some trade-offs to make it work on a single income. It’s very doable with some flexibility.