City profile
Boston, MA cost of living
MA · BEA RPP 108.266
2024 overall RPP
108.266
US = 100
2024 housing-rent RPP
148.424
Housing component
2024 goods RPP
99.651
Goods component
2-BR FMR (HUD)
$3,008/mo
FY2027 FMR
Where Boston, MA sits in the verified metro set
RPP rank
#11 of 67
+8.3 vs U.S. average
Vs median metro
+8.8
median RPP 99.5
2-BR rent rank
#3 of 67
+1,319/mo vs median verified metro
RPP ranks use only verified ReloMath metro records. Sources: BEA MARPP 2024 (all items, housing, goods, other services); HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent; reviewed 2026-10-04. These are historical area benchmarks, not current neighborhood prices. HUD FMR is a 40th-percentile gross-rent benchmark, not median rent. BEA metro and HUD rent-area boundaries can differ. BEA: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH (Metropolitan Statistical Area) (code 14460). HUD: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area (code METRO14460MM1120); counties or county equivalents: Essex County, Amesbury city, Essex County, Beverly city, Essex County, Danvers town, Essex County, Essex town, Essex County, Gloucester city, Essex County, Hamilton town, Essex County, Ipswich town, Essex County, Lynn city, Essex County, Lynnfield town, Essex County, Manchester-by-the-Sea town, Essex County, Marblehead town, Essex County, Middleton town, Essex County, Nahant town, Essex County, Newbury town, Essex County, Newburyport city, Essex County, Peabody city, Essex County, Rockport town, Essex County, Rowley town, Essex County, Salem city, Essex County, Salisbury town, Essex County, Saugus town, Essex County, Swampscott town, Essex County, Topsfield town, Essex County, Wenham town, Middlesex County, Acton town, Middlesex County, Arlington town, Middlesex County, Ashby town, Middlesex County, Ashland town, Middlesex County, Ayer town, Middlesex County, Bedford town, Middlesex County, Belmont town, Middlesex County, Boxborough town, Middlesex County, Burlington town, Middlesex County, Cambridge city, Middlesex County, Carlisle town, Middlesex County, Concord town, Middlesex County, Everett city, Middlesex County, Framingham city, Middlesex County, Holliston town, Middlesex County, Hopkinton town, Middlesex County, Hudson town, Middlesex County, Lexington town, Middlesex County, Lincoln town, Middlesex County, Littleton town, Middlesex County, Malden city, Middlesex County, Marlborough city, Middlesex County, Maynard town, Middlesex County, Medford city, Middlesex County, Melrose city, Middlesex County, Natick town, Middlesex County, Newton city, Middlesex County, North Reading town, Middlesex County, Reading town, Middlesex County, Sherborn town, Middlesex County, Shirley town, Middlesex County, Somerville city, Middlesex County, Stoneham town, Middlesex County, Stow town, Middlesex County, Sudbury town, Middlesex County, Townsend town, Middlesex County, Wakefield town, Middlesex County, Waltham city, Middlesex County, Watertown city, Middlesex County, Wayland town, Middlesex County, Weston town, Middlesex County, Wilmington town, Middlesex County, Winchester town, Middlesex County, Woburn city, Norfolk County, Bellingham town, Norfolk County, Braintree Town city, Norfolk County, Brookline town, Norfolk County, Canton town, Norfolk County, Cohasset town, Norfolk County, Dedham town, Norfolk County, Dover town, Norfolk County, Foxborough town, Norfolk County, Franklin Town city, Norfolk County, Holbrook town, Norfolk County, Medfield town, Norfolk County, Medway town, Norfolk County, Millis town, Norfolk County, Milton town, Norfolk County, Needham town, Norfolk County, Norfolk town, Norfolk County, Norwood town, Norfolk County, Plainville town, Norfolk County, Quincy city, Norfolk County, Randolph city, Norfolk County, Sharon town, Norfolk County, Stoughton town, Norfolk County, Walpole town, Norfolk County, Wellesley town, Norfolk County, Westwood town, Norfolk County, Weymouth Town city, Norfolk County, Wrentham town, Plymouth County, Carver town, Plymouth County, Duxbury town, Plymouth County, Hanover town, Plymouth County, Hingham town, Plymouth County, Hull town, Plymouth County, Kingston town, Plymouth County, Marshfield town, Plymouth County, Norwell town, Plymouth County, Pembroke town, Plymouth County, Plymouth town, Plymouth County, Rockland town, Plymouth County, Scituate town, Plymouth County, Wareham town, Rockingham County, Seabrook town, Rockingham County, South Hampton town, Suffolk County, Boston city, Suffolk County, Chelsea city, Suffolk County, Revere city, Suffolk County, Winthrop Town city. The official files were retrieved 2026-10-04.
Who’s moving in and out of Boston, MA
IRS tax-return migration · 2022-2023Cost of living is only half the relocation question. The other half is which way people are actually voting with their feet, straight from IRS tax-return migration for the Boston, MA metro.
Moved in
86,195
people · 63,118 households
Moved out
108,171
people · 74,261 households
Net
−21,976
net loss of residents
Net migration rank
#59 of 65
among IRS-covered ReloMath metros
Vs median net flow
-22,347
median +371 people
Largest flow share
9% in / 11% out
top named county shares
Where new residents came from
- Worcester County, MA 7,977
- Bristol County, MA 6,587
- Hillsborough County, NH 5,876
- Barnstable County, MA 3,109
- Providence County, RI 2,495
Where residents moved to
- Worcester County, MA 12,314
- Bristol County, MA 9,496
- Hillsborough County, NH 7,844
- Barnstable County, MA 3,769
- New York County, NY 3,704
Counts are IRS tax filers (returns ≈ households, individuals ≈ exemptions) who changed address between 2022-2023. Flows too small for IRS to disclose are grouped and excluded from the named lists. Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration data ↗, mapped to metros via the U.S. Census CBSA delineation.
What salary do you need in Boston, MA?
Historical BEA 2024 salary illustration relative to the U.S. average (RPP 100), before tax and household adjustments. Housing is already included in overall RPP.
| In US-average city | You need in Boston, MA | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $54,133 | $50,000 x (108.266/100) |
| $75,000 | $81,200 | $75,000 x (108.266/100) |
| $100,000 | $108,266 | $100,000 x (108.266/100) |
| $125,000 | $135,333 | $125,000 x (108.266/100) |
| $150,000 | $162,399 | $150,000 x (108.266/100) |
| $200,000 | $216,532 | $200,000 x (108.266/100) |
Salary illustrations use BEA 2024 overall Regional Price Parities (RPP) only, before tax and household-specific adjustments. Overall RPP already includes housing. HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent is a separate historical gross-rent benchmark, not a current lease or median rent. Do not add rent to the RPP salary figure. Your lease and moving quote belong in a separate budget. Not financial advice.
Step 2: what will the move itself cost?
The historical salary illustration is separate from moving payments. Use an actual mover quote and lease terms in your budget summary.
State income tax note
Income tax and payroll deductions are not calculated. Obtain take-home estimates for your actual work and home addresses.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Boston, MA?
- In the historical BEA 2024 benchmark, Boston, MA has an overall Regional Price Parity of 108.266 (US average = 100). Its overall price level is 8.3% higher than the national average for that year.
- What salary do I need to live in Boston, MA?
- If you earn $100,000 in a US-average city (RPP 100), the BEA 2024 RPP illustration is approximately $108,266 in Boston, MA, before tax and household adjustments.
- What historical rent benchmark is shown for Boston, MA?
- The historical HUD Fair Market Rent benchmark for a 2-bedroom associated with Boston, MA is $3,008 per month as of FY2027.
- Are people moving to or away from Boston, MA?
- Based on IRS tax-return migration data for 2022-2023, about 86,195 people moved into the Boston, MA metro and 108,171 moved out — a net loss of roughly 21,976 residents. The largest single source of new residents was Worcester County, MA.
Curated nearby & similar cities
Similar verified metros by RPP
These links are chosen by data proximity: closest overall RPP to Boston, MA, with HUD 2-BR rent as a tie-breaker.
Curated cost-of-living comparisons for Boston, MA
Side-by-side cost of living and the equivalent salary you'd need — pick a destination.
Check published data changes
Review dated source notices for tracked metros alongside Boston, MA's historical benchmarks. Change-log entries do not automatically refresh the BEA 2024 or HUD FY2027 values shown here.
View cost-of-living change log