Boston, MA Cost Of Living
Boston's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
In Massachusetts
In America
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 only Massachusetts, Boston has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Massachusetts's index of 132.
The standard of living in Boston ranks as #5,803 most affordable out of the 6,418 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Boston ranks as the #615 most expensive place in the Bay State.
Boston Cost Of Living Vs. Massachusetts
| Living Expense | Boston | Massachusetts | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 148 | 132 | 100 | |
| Services | 129 | 119 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 114 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 120 | 123 | 100 | |
| Housing | 204 | 164 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 110 | 109 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 124 | 116 | 100 | |
Boston, MA Housing Cost Breakdown
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Massachusetts, so we broke down the statistics around housing costs into more detail. It's also important to consider median household incomes to make apples-to-apples comparisons across locations.
Home and income come data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2014-2018.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Income
| Statistic | Boston | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $581,200 | $398,800 | $229,800 |
| Median Rent | $1,685 | $1,336 | $1,096 |
| Median Income | $76,298 | $84,385 | $64,994 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.6x | 4.7x | 3.5x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.27x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Detailed Boston Services Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Boston | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.0 | $1.06 |
| Movie | $14.43 | $10.68 |
| Bowling | $21.0 | $14.67 |
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 |
Detailed Boston Health Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Boston | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Haircut | $34.97 | $18.62 |
| Beauty Salon | $64.17 | $39.05 |
| Toothpaste | $2.3 | $2.34 |
Detailed Boston Transportation Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Boston | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Potatoes | $4.02 | $3.29 |
| Pizza | $11.16 | $10.62 |
| Beer | $9.29 | $9.38 |
| Optometrist | $102.75 | $108.57 |
| Doctor | $194.0 | $116.17 |
| Dentist | $108.27 | $99.13 |
Detailed Boston Utilities Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Boston | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $2.19 | $2.22 |
| Tire Balancing | $64.47 | $50.07 |
| All Electricity | $233.87 | $167.67 |
| Phone | $181.11 | $175.64 |
Boston SnackAbility
/10
Cost Of Living In Cities Around Boston
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge, MA | 117,822 | 172 | 1.2x |
| Quincy, MA | 94,389 | 139 | 0.9x |
| Newton, MA | 88,322 | 192 | 1.3x |
| Somerville, MA | 81,175 | 158 | 1.1x |
| Malden, MA | 60,710 | 137 | 0.9x |
| Brookline, MA | 59,223 | 191 | 1.3x |
| Revere, MA | 53,400 | 134 | 0.9x |
| Everett, MA | 46,275 | 137 | 0.9x |
| Chelsea, MA | 39,878 | 127 | 0.9x |
| Lexington, MA | 33,304 | 190 | 1.3x |
