Malden, MA Cost Of Living

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

Cost Of Living In Malden, MA Summary

Cost of living in Malden 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 Malden 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 Malden is 150, with 100 being the average.

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

  • Malden ranks as the #71 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 112.

  • Malden ranks as the #5,692 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Malden is $665,749.

  • The median income in Malden is $95,298.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
150
Malden's Overall Cost Of Living
1.5x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Malden, MA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Malden has an overall cost of living index of 150, which is 1.5x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Massachusetts, Malden has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Massachusetts's index of 134.

The standard of living in Malden ranks as #71 most affordable out of the 112 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Malden ranks as the #41 most expensive place in the Bay State.

For more reading on life in Malden, check out:

71 out of 112
In Massachusetts
5,692 out of 6,489
In America

Malden Cost Of Living Vs. Massachusetts

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

  • The Services index in Malden is 120.

  • The Groceries index in Malden is 105.

  • The Health index in Malden is 114.

  • The Housing index in Malden is 221.

  • The Transportation index in Malden is 119.

  • The Utilities index in Malden is 136.

Living Expense Malden Massachusetts National Average
Overall 150 134 100
Services 120 121 100
Groceries 105 106 100
Health 114 112 100
Housing 221 164 100
Transportation 119 120 100
Utilities 136 136 100
For more reading on cost of living around Massachusetts, check out:
Malden Cost of Living Vs. MA

Malden, 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 Malden is $665,749.

  • The Median Rent in Malden is $2,066.

  • The Median Income in Malden is $95,298.

  • The Home Value To Income in Malden is 7.0x.

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

Statistic Malden Massachusetts United States
Median Home Value $665,749 $649,115 $303,400
Median Rent $2,066 $1,687 $1,348
Median Income $95,298 $101,341 $78,538
Home Value To Income 7.0x 6.4x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.26x 0.2x 0.21x
$665,749
Median Home Value
$2,066
Median Rent
$95,298
Median Income

Malden, MA Costs By Category

Detailed Malden Services Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Malden 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 Malden Groceries Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Malden 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 Malden Health Costs Vs. Massachusetts

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

Detailed Malden Transportation Costs Vs. Massachusetts

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

Detailed Malden Utilities Costs Vs. Massachusetts

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

Malden SnackAbility

8
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
7/10
Housing
9
Affordability
3
Diversity
10
Safety
7
Amenities
10
Education
8
Commute
3

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Malden

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Malden. 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 201, 1.3x Malden.

  • Newton, MA has a cost of living index of 208, 1.4x Malden.

  • Somerville, MA has a cost of living index of 184, 1.2x Malden.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Malden
Cambridge, MA 117,794 201 1.3x
Newton, MA 88,504 208 1.4x
Somerville, MA 80,549 184 1.2x
Brookline, MA 62,822 221 1.5x
Revere, MA 59,933 141 0.9x
Medford, MA 59,062 163 1.1x
Everett, MA 49,236 150 1.0x
Chelsea, MA 39,460 141 0.9x
Lexington, MA 34,085 211 1.4x
Needham, MA 32,059 202 1.3x

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