2023 Report: Cities in Maine where Household Expenses are Highest and Lowest
How does living in the Pine Tree State affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Maine household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities. On average, Maine’s household expenses, doxo’s data reveals, are $1,934 per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 16 cities and towns across Maine, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Maine and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Maine’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Maine residents pay $1,934 in household bills
The average Maine household pays $1,934 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are:Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Maine residents pay roughly average household bill expenses: the state ranks 28th out of 50 states in terms of monthly spending. This is 5.5% less than the national average of $2,046.
Slightly more expensive than Maine is Idaho, where residents pay $1,938 a month on average; slightly more affordable is Pennsylvania, where residents pay $1,922.
The most expensive state for household expenses is Hawaii, where residents pay $3,070 per month. The most affordable state, meanwhile, is West Virginia, where bills average $1,530 per month.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Maine households spend 38% of their income on household costs, which is a higher share than the national average: 35%.
Annually, Maine residents pay $13 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Maine by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxo INSIGHTS bill pay infographic about Maine
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $1,934
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $13 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 28 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 38%
- Difference from the National Average: 5.5% lower
Rent in Maine is 18% lower than the national average
The average Maine household pays $1,934 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Housing costs deviate substantially from the national average. The average mortgage is $1,245 per month in Maine compared to the national average of $1,321: 6% lower than the national average. The gulf between the state and national average is even more dramatic for rent. Mainers pay their landlords at $972 a month, compared to $1,191 nationally: a difference of 18%.
Utilities, however, is a category where Maine residents pay substantially more than the national average. The average Maine household spends $500 on their utility bill, compared to the national average of $351. This is a difference of 42%.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Maine Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Maine Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Maine Percent +/- National Average ($2,046) |
| Mortgage | $1,245 | $1,321 | 6% lower |
| Rent | $972 | $1,191 | 18% lower |
| Auto Loan | $422 | $467 | 10% lower |
| Utilities | $500 | $351 | 42% higher |
| Auto Insurance | $189 | $207 | 9% lower |
| Cable & Internet | $127 | $118 | 8% higher |
| Health Insurance | $90 | $120 | 25% lower |
| Mobile Phone | $135 | $119 | 13% higher |
| Alarm & Security | $83 | $84 | 1% lower |
| Life Insurance | $85 | $89 | 4% lower |
| Total | $1,934 | $2,046 | 5.5% lower |
Scarborough is the most expensive area for Maine household bills
Residents of Scarborough pay the highest household bills in the state of Maine, at an average of $2,704 per month. Gorham comes in second in the rankings, with residents paying an average of $2,469 on household expenses.
Residents of Scarborough, spend slightly less of their income on bills than Gorham residents do. While Scarborough residents spend 31% of their income on bills, Gorham residents spend 33% of their income on bills.
Also on the list of the most expensive areas to pay household bills in Maine are South Portland ($2,331 per month), Portland ($2,326 per month), and Windham ($2,278 per month).
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
5 Most Expensive Maine Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-5 out of 16) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 1 | Scarborough | $2,704 | 31% |
| 2 | Gorham | $2,469 | 33% |
| 3 | South Portland | $2,331 | 42% |
| 4 | Portland | $2,326 | 44% |
| 5 | Windham | $2,278 | 33% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Augusta is the most affordable place in Maine for household bills
Out of 16 cities and towns for which doxo INSIGHTS provides data, Augusta, the capital of Maine, is the most affordable place in the state, with residents paying $1,587 on average for household bills.
Bangor is second most affordable area on the list, with residents paying an average of $1,688 on household bills.
Also on the list of most affordable cities and towns in Maine are Waterville ($1,751 a month), Lewiston ($1,811 a month), and Ellsworth ($1,881 a month).
5 Most Affordable Maine Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (12-16 out of 16) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 12 | Ellsworth | $1,881 | 37% |
| 13 | Lewiston | $1,811 | 51% |
| 14 | Waterville | $1,751 | 48% |
| 15 | Bangor | $1,688 | 37% |
| 16 | Augusta | $1,587 | 43% |
Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Kansas’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 4000 towns and cities across the country.
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $1,934
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $13 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 28 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 38%
- Difference from the National Average: 5.5% lower
Rent in Maine is 18% lower than the national average
The average Maine household pays $1,934 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Housing costs deviate substantially from the national average. The average mortgage is $1,245 per month in Maine compared to the national average of $1,321: 6% lower than the national average. The gulf between the state and national average is even more dramatic for rent. Mainers pay their landlords at $972 a month, compared to $1,191 nationally: a difference of 18%.
Utilities, however, is a category where Maine residents pay substantially more than the national average. The average Maine household spends $500 on their utility bill, compared to the national average of $351. This is a difference of 42%.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Maine Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Maine Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Maine Percent +/- National Average ($2,046) |
| Mortgage | $1,245 | $1,321 | 6% lower |
| Rent | $972 | $1,191 | 18% lower |
| Auto Loan | $422 | $467 | 10% lower |
| Utilities | $500 | $351 | 42% higher |
| Auto Insurance | $189 | $207 | 9% lower |
| Cable & Internet | $127 | $118 | 8% higher |
| Health Insurance | $90 | $120 | 25% lower |
| Mobile Phone | $135 | $119 | 13% higher |
| Alarm & Security | $83 | $84 | 1% lower |
| Life Insurance | $85 | $89 | 4% lower |
| Total | $1,934 | $2,046 | 5.5% lower |
Scarborough is the most expensive area for Maine household bills
Residents of Scarborough pay the highest household bills in the state of Maine, at an average of $2,704 per month. Gorham comes in second in the rankings, with residents paying an average of $2,469 on household expenses.
Residents of Scarborough, spend slightly less of their income on bills than Gorham residents do. While Scarborough residents spend 31% of their income on bills, Gorham residents spend 33% of their income on bills.
Also on the list of the most expensive areas to pay household bills in Maine are South Portland ($2,331 per month), Portland ($2,326 per month), and Windham ($2,278 per month).
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.