Burlington, MA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Burlington, MA Summary

Cost of living in Burlington 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 Burlington 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 Burlington is 169, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Burlington is 1.7x higher than the national average.

  • Burlington ranks as the #92 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 112.

  • Burlington ranks as the #6,049 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Burlington is $854,284.

  • The median income in Burlington is $142,207.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
169
Burlington's Overall Cost Of Living
1.7x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Burlington, MA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Burlington has an overall cost of living index of 169, which is 1.7x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Massachusetts, Burlington has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than Massachusetts's index of 134.

The standard of living in Burlington ranks as #92 most affordable out of the 112 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Burlington ranks as the #20 most expensive place in the Bay State.

For more reading on life in Burlington, check out:

92 out of 112
In Massachusetts
6,049 out of 6,489
In America

Burlington Cost Of Living Vs. Massachusetts

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

  • The Services index in Burlington is 123.

  • The Groceries index in Burlington is 106.

  • The Health index in Burlington is 114.

  • The Housing index in Burlington is 286.

  • The Transportation index in Burlington is 117.

  • The Utilities index in Burlington is 133.

Living Expense Burlington Massachusetts National Average
Overall 169 134 100
Services 123 121 100
Groceries 106 106 100
Health 114 112 100
Housing 286 164 100
Transportation 117 120 100
Utilities 133 136 100
For more reading on cost of living around Massachusetts, check out:
Burlington Cost of Living Vs. MA

Burlington, 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 2019-2023. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Burlington is $854,284.

  • The Median Rent in Burlington is $2,597.

  • The Median Income in Burlington is $142,207.

  • The Home Value To Income in Burlington is 6.0x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Burlington is 0.22x.

Statistic Burlington Massachusetts United States
Median Home Value $854,284 $649,115 $303,400
Median Rent $2,597 $1,687 $1,348
Median Income $142,207 $101,341 $78,538
Home Value To Income 6.0x 6.4x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.22x 0.2x 0.21x
$854,284
Median Home Value
$2,597
Median Rent
$142,207
Median Income

Burlington, MA Costs By Category

Detailed Burlington Services Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Burlington Massachusetts
Shampoo $1.49 $1.28
Movie $15.49 $12.13
Bowling $29.33 $18
Haircut $43.72 $24.26
Beauty Salon $65.56 $45.56

Detailed Burlington Groceries Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Burlington Massachusetts
Ground Beef $5.48 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.45 $1.57
Milk $4.76 $4.67
Potatoes $4.99 $4.93
Pizza $12.52 $12.09
Beer $10.21 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.53 $3.7

Detailed Burlington Health Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Burlington Massachusetts
Optometrist $123.17 $125.68
Doctor $157.89 $135.78
Dentist $149.22 $113.29

Detailed Burlington Transportation Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Burlington Massachusetts
Gasoline $3.43 $3.46
Tire Balancing $97.39 $59.92

Detailed Burlington Utilities Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Burlington Massachusetts
All Electricity $302.72 $193.99
Phone $187.85 $192.25

Burlington SnackAbility

7
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
9/10
Housing
9.5
Affordability
5
Diversity
8
Safety
8
Amenities
9
Education
9
Commute
5

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Burlington

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

  • Newton, MA has a cost of living index of 208, 1.2x Burlington.

  • Brookline, MA has a cost of living index of 221, 1.3x Burlington.

  • Arlington, MA has a cost of living index of 179, 1.1x Burlington.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Burlington
Newton, MA 88,504 208 1.2x
Brookline, MA 62,822 221 1.3x
Arlington, MA 46,015 179 1.1x
Woburn, MA 41,205 154 0.9x
Lexington, MA 34,085 211 1.2x
Needham, MA 32,059 202 1.2x
Wellesley, MA 29,906 243 1.4x
Wakefield, MA 27,284 163 1.0x
Reading, MA 25,448 164 1.0x
Wilmington, MA 23,195 161 1.0x

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