Suffolk County · Massachusetts
Boston cost of living (MA)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Boston costs 8.3% above the national average — all-items price level 108.3, rank 14 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $108,266 here. Utilities is the reason, at 148.8.
- All items
- 108.3US average = 100
- Housing
- 148.448.4% above the national average
- Goods
- 99.7in line with the national average
- Other services
- 103.63.6% above the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 99.7 | -0.3% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 148.4 | +48.4% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 148.8 | +48.8% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 103.6 | +3.6% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
Reading the Boston price level
What the 108.3 figure actually means for a household here.
Boston prices sit 8.3% above the US average — an all-items parity of 108.3, rank 14 of 94 covered metros. Moderately above average. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Utilities drives it: 148.8, 48.8% above average. Goods pull the other way at 99.7. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 49.1 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Boston do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $108,266 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $89,212 median household income in Boston is worth $82,401 in national-average dollars, 4.9% above the $78,538 US median. Local pay more than covers the local price level.
Parities are published for Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
What your salary is worth in Boston, MA
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (108.3 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $82,401
- Needed to match US average
- $96,586
- Monthly difference
- $615
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$89,212 median household income in Boston is worth $82,401 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 108.3.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is Boston expensive?
- Yes — 8.3% above the US average, rank 14 of 94 covered metros. utilities is the component furthest from average at 148.8.
- What salary do you need to live in Boston, MA?
- $108,266 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $89,212, worth $82,401 after adjusting for the 108.3 price level.
- Why is the cost of living high in Boston?
- Utilities at 148.8 versus goods at 99.7. A 49.1-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More Boston data
Other Boston datasets on this site.
- Boston population and income
- Boston sales tax rate
- Boston property tax
- Boston home values and rent
- Boston crime rates
- Boston public schools
- Boston weather normals
- Boston commute times
- Boston jobs and wages
Statewide: Massachusetts cities · Massachusetts ZIP codes · Massachusetts sales tax · Massachusetts counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.