Cost of living in Boston
compared to
Cost of living in Boston vs. United States overall average
Boston is 32.0% more expensive than United States overall.
- Restaurants
-
pay 17.1% more in Boston
- Groceries
-
pay 30.5% more in Boston
- Transportation
-
pay 9.2% more in Boston
- Housing
-
pay 51.2% more in Boston
- Childcare
-
pay 60.0% more in Boston
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 30.9% more in Boston
- Clothing
-
pay 25.0% more in Boston
The cost of childcare, housing, entertainment and sports, groceries, clothing, and restaurants in Boston are more expensive than in United States.
Boston Cost of Living Breakdown
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $25.00 |
$15.00
-
$55.00
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$12.00 |
$10.00
-
$15.00
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $2.87 |
$2.00
-
$4.25
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $2.40 |
$1.89
-
$4.00
|
Boston - Cost of restaurants
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$4.16 |
$2.76
-
$7.72
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $8.92 |
$5.10
-
$16.53
|
| Milk (1 gallon) | $4.80 |
$3.00
-
$7.00
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$4.93 |
$2.00
-
$7.50
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $6.15 |
$3.99
-
$12.00
|
| Apples (1 lb) | $2.70 |
$1.36
-
$5.00
|
| Bananas (1 lb) | $1.00 |
$0.50
-
$3.00
|
| Oranges (1 lb) | $2.83 |
$1.25
-
$8.00
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $3.61 |
$1.89
-
$6.00
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $2.09 |
$0.89
-
$3.63
|
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.81 |
$0.95
-
$3.00
|
Boston - Cost of groceries
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $3.46 |
$3.00
-
$4.00
|
| Monthly public transit pass | $90.00 |
$90.00
-
$91.00
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $34,000.00 |
$30,000.00
-
$36,656.25
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $16.52 |
$16.52
-
$32.83
|
Boston - Cost of transportation
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$77.28 |
$60.00
-
$110.00
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $3,451.79 |
$2,900.00
-
$4,000.00
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $2,596.36 |
$2,000.00
-
$3,005.00
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$153.30 |
$96.62
-
$267.65
|
Boston - Cost of housing
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $2,793.33 |
$2,100.00
-
$3,500.00
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $27,500.00 |
$10,000.00
-
$40,000.00
|
Boston - Cost of childcare
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $8.00 |
$6.00
-
$12.00
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $5.36 |
$3.50
-
$7.00
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$13.00 |
$11.00
-
$15.00
|
| Monthly membership at local gym | $88.48 |
$35.00
-
$190.00
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $15.00 |
$13.00
-
$20.00
|
Boston - Cost of entertainment and sports
|
Cost
|
Range | |
|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$69.87 |
$40.00
-
$120.00
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$43.75 |
$25.00
-
$60.00
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$107.71 |
$55.00
-
$150.00
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $152.08 |
$80.00
-
$250.00
|
Boston - Cost of clothing
Compare Boston with other locations
Tip: Try viewing our aggregate cost of living in Massachusetts
to see the average cost of cities throughout Massachusetts, like
Ashland,
Falmouth,
Gloucester,
Great Barrington,
Saugus,
and more.
Help us improve these prices
MyLifeElsewhere is a collaborative project. Please enter price information for your location to help assist us in making these comparisons more accurate.
Learn more