Boston, MA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2023-11-15

Cost Of Living In Boston, MA Summary

Cost of living in Boston research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Boston is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in Massachusetts, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

  • The cost of living index in Boston is 148, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Boston is 1.5x higher than the national average.

  • Boston ranks as the #86 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 113.

  • Boston ranks as the #5,800 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.

  • The median home value in Boston is $610,400.

  • The median income in Boston is $81,744.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
148
Boston's Overall Cost Of Living
1.5x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Boston, MA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Boston has an overall cost of living index of 148, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Massachusetts, Boston has a cost of living index that's 1.0x higher than Massachusetts's index of 143.

The standard of living in Boston ranks as #86 most affordable out of the 113 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Boston ranks as the #27 most expensive place in the Bay State.

For more reading on life in Boston, check out:

86 out of 113
In Massachusetts
5,800 out of 6,412
In America

Boston Cost Of Living Vs. Massachusetts

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Boston. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Boston is 129.

  • The Groceries index in Boston is 114.

  • The Health index in Boston is 120.

  • The Housing index in Boston is 204.

  • The Transportation index in Boston is 110.

  • The Utilities index in Boston is 124.

Living Expense Boston Massachusetts National Average
Overall 148 143 100
Services 129 126 100
Groceries 114 108 100
Health 120 117 100
Housing 204 202 100
Transportation 110 114 100
Utilities 124 123 100
For more reading on cost of living around Massachusetts, check out:
Boston Cost of Living Vs. MA

Boston, MA Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in Massachusetts, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Boston is $610,400.

  • The Median Rent in Boston is $1,783.

  • The Median Income in Boston is $81,744.

  • The Home Value To Income in Boston is 7.5x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Boston is 0.26x.

Statistic Boston Massachusetts United States
Median Home Value $610,400 $424,700 $244,900
Median Rent $1,783 $1,429 $1,163
Median Income $81,744 $89,026 $69,021
Home Value To Income 7.5x 4.8x 3.5x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.26x 0.19x 0.2x
Search Homes For Sale In Boston, MA
$610,400
Median Home Value
$1,783
Median Rent
$81,744
Median Income

Boston, MA Costs By Category

Detailed Boston Services Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Boston Massachusetts
Shampoo $1.0 $1.06
Movie $14.43 $10.68
Bowling $21.0 $14.67
Haircut $34.97 $18.62
Beauty Salon $64.17 $39.05

Detailed Boston Groceries Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Boston Massachusetts
Ground Beef $3.74 $4.22
Fried Chicken $1.64 $1.39
Milk $2.27 $2.05
Potatoes $4.02 $3.29
Pizza $11.16 $10.62
Beer $9.29 $9.38
Toothpaste $2.3 $2.34

Detailed Boston Health Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Boston Massachusetts
Optometrist $102.75 $108.57
Doctor $194.0 $116.17
Dentist $108.27 $99.13

Detailed Boston Transportation Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Boston Massachusetts
Gasoline $2.19 $2.22
Tire Balancing $64.47 $50.07

Detailed Boston Utilities Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Boston Massachusetts
All Electricity $233.87 $167.67
Phone $181.11 $175.64

Boston SnackAbility

8
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
7/10
Housing
9.5
Affordability
3
Diversity
10
Safety
5
Amenities
10
Education
8
Commute
5

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Boston

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Boston. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Cambridge, MA has a cost of living index of 172, 1.2x Boston.

  • Quincy, MA has a cost of living index of 139, 0.9x Boston.

  • Newton, MA has a cost of living index of 192, 1.3x Boston.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Boston
Cambridge, MA 116,892 172 1.2x
Quincy, MA 100,544 139 0.9x
Newton, MA 88,647 192 1.3x
Somerville, MA 80,608 158 1.1x
Malden, MA 65,602 137 0.9x
Brookline, MA 62,620 191 1.3x
Revere, MA 60,720 134 0.9x
Everett, MA 48,368 137 0.9x
Chelsea, MA 40,025 127 0.9x
Lexington, MA 34,235 190 1.3x

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