Route comparison
New York, NY vs Boston, MA: Cost of Living
Compare the cost of living between New York, NY and Boston, MA. See the equivalent salary and median rent powered by BLS Regional Price Parities.
Latest official changes
Data updates affecting this route
These rows are official-source planning signals with data period and last-checked dates. They do not automatically update the current RPP/FMR values on this page until the source dataset is flipped.
New York, NY
NY
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 113
- Housing RPP
- 154.2
- Goods RPP
- 107.6
- 2-BR median rent
- $2,752/mo
NY state income tax 4%-10.9% + NYC city tax up to 3.876% for city residents.
Boston, MA
MA
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 112
- Housing RPP
- 150.3
- Goods RPP
- 110.1
- 2-BR median rent
- $2,827/mo
Massachusetts flat income tax 5.0%. No city income tax.
Equivalent salary
Boston, MA is cheaper than New York, NY by about 0.9% (RPP 113 to 112).
$60,000 in New York, NY
-> $59,469
in Boston, MA
$100,000 in New York, NY
-> $99,115
in Boston, MA
$150,000 in New York, NY
-> $148,673
in Boston, MA
This tool provides estimates only. Equivalent-salary figures are derived from BLS Regional Price Parities (RPP) and HUD Fair Market Rents — they are averages, not guarantees. Actual cost of living varies by neighborhood, lifestyle, and individual circumstances. Not financial advice.
Migration signal: New York, NY vs Boston, MA
IRS tax-return migration · 2021-2022New York, NY
- Net people
- −242,855
- Net rank
- #65 of 65
- Top origin share
- 1%
- Top destination share
- 1%
Largest source: Los Angeles County, CA. Largest destination: Palm Beach County, FL.
Boston, MA
- Net people
- −39,965
- Net rank
- #60 of 65
- Top origin share
- 4%
- Top destination share
- 5%
Largest source: Worcester County, MA. Largest destination: Worcester County, MA.
Rent delta: Boston, MA is $75/mo higher for HUD FY2024 2-BR FMR than New York, NY. Housing RPP moves from 154.2 to 150.3.
Migration figures are derived from IRS SOI county-to-county migration data for 2021-2022, mapped to metros via Census CBSA delineation. Small county-to-county flows are IRS-suppressed, so per-metro totals are lower bounds. Source: IRS SOI migration data.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Boston, MA cheaper or more expensive than New York, NY?
- Boston, MA (RPP 112) is cheaper than New York, NY (RPP 113) by about 0.9%.
- What salary do I need in Boston, MA if I earn $100,000 in New York, NY?
- You would need approximately $99,115 in Boston, MA to maintain the same purchasing power as $100,000 in New York, NY. Formula: $100,000 x (112 / 113).
- Which metro had stronger net migration, New York, NY or Boston, MA?
- For 2021-2022, New York, NY had a net loss of 242,855 people, while Boston, MA had a net loss of 39,965 people. IRS small-flow suppression means these are lower-bound research signals, not complete population-change totals.