Cambridge, MA Cost Of Living
Cambridge's Overall Cost Of Living
Higher Than The National Average
In Massachusetts
In America
What is the cost of living in Cambridge, MA?
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Cambridge has an overall cost of living index of 172 which is 1.7x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to only Massachusetts, Cambridge has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than Massachusetts's index of 132.
The standard of living in Cambridge ranks as #6,154 most affordable out of the 6,418 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Cambridge ranks as the #264 most expensive place in the Bay State.
Cambridge Cost Of Living Vs. Massachusetts
| Living Expense | Cambridge | Massachusetts | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 172 | 132 | 100 | |
| Services | 126 | 119 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 113 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 119 | 123 | 100 | |
| Housing | 293 | 164 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 108 | 109 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 122 | 116 | 100 | |
Cambridge, 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 | Cambridge | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $843,100 | $398,800 | $229,800 |
| Median Rent | $2,293 | $1,336 | $1,096 |
| Median Income | $107,490 | $84,385 | $64,994 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.8x | 4.7x | 3.5x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.26x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Detailed Cambridge Services Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Cambridge | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.0 | $1.06 |
| Movie | $14.43 | $10.68 |
| Bowling | $21.0 | $14.67 |
Detailed Cambridge Groceries Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Cambridge | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $3.74 | $4.22 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.64 | $1.39 |
| Milk | $2.27 | $2.05 |
Detailed Cambridge Health Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Cambridge | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Haircut | $34.97 | $18.62 |
| Beauty Salon | $64.17 | $39.05 |
| Toothpaste | $2.3 | $2.34 |
Detailed Cambridge Transportation Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Cambridge | 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 Cambridge Utilities Costs Vs. Massachusetts
| Item | Cambridge | Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $2.19 | $2.22 |
| Tire Balancing | $64.47 | $50.07 |
| All Electricity | $233.87 | $167.67 |
| Phone | $181.11 | $175.64 |
Cambridge SnackAbility
/10
Cost Of Living In Cities Around Cambridge
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Cambridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton, MA | 88,322 | 192 | 1.1x |
| Somerville, MA | 81,175 | 158 | 0.9x |
| Malden, MA | 60,710 | 137 | 0.8x |
| Brookline, MA | 59,223 | 191 | 1.1x |
| Medford, MA | 58,290 | 147 | 0.9x |
| Everett, MA | 46,275 | 137 | 0.8x |
| Arlington, MA | 45,379 | 162 | 0.9x |
| Chelsea, MA | 39,878 | 127 | 0.7x |
| Lexington, MA | 33,304 | 190 | 1.1x |
| Needham, MA | 31,177 | 180 | 1.0x |
