Cost of living comparison
compared to
Massachusetts vs. Pennsylvania Cost of Living Summary
Massachusetts is 14.9% more expensive than Pennsylvania.
- Restaurants
- pay 13.9% more in Massachusetts
- Groceries
- pay 0.6% more in Massachusetts
- Transportation
- pay 0.4% more in Massachusetts
- Housing
- pay 32.1% more in Massachusetts
- Childcare
- pay 30.2% more in Massachusetts
- Entertainment and Sports
- pay 24.6% more in Massachusetts
- Clothing
- pay 2.5% more in Massachusetts
Massachusetts vs. Pennsylvania Cost Breakdown
If you lived in Massachusetts instead of Pennsylvania, you would:
pay 13.9% more for restaurants
Pennsylvania | Massachusetts | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant | $18.35 | $20.54 | |
| Fast food combo meal McDonalds, or similar | $10.53 | $12.50 | |
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) | $2.39 | $2.63 | |
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) | $1.85 | $2.13 | |
Pennsylvania vs. Massachusetts - Cost of restaurants
pay 0.6% more for groceries
Pennsylvania | Massachusetts | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bread 1 loaf | $3.50 | $3.53 | |
| Local cheese (8 oz) | $7.29 | $7.98 | |
| Milk (1 gallon) | $4.21 | $4.30 | |
| Eggs 1 dozen | $4.15 | $4.57 | |
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) | $5.39 | $5.52 | |
| Apples (1 lb) | $2.62 | $2.43 | |
| Bananas (1 lb) | $0.73 | $0.75 | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | $2.11 | $2.19 | |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) | $2.50 | $2.51 | |
| Potatoes (1 lb) | $1.36 | $1.36 | |
| Onions (1 lb) | $1.59 | $1.32 | |
Pennsylvania vs. Massachusetts - Cost of groceries
pay 0.4% more for transportation
Pennsylvania | Massachusetts | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | $3.27 | $3.21 | |
| Monthly public transit pass | $65.77 | $70.22 | |
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) | $32,293.42 | $33,617.11 | |
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) | $17.76 | $16.49 | |
Pennsylvania vs. Massachusetts - Cost of transportation
pay 32.1% more for housing
Pennsylvania | Massachusetts | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet connection 50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl | $66.32 | $70.71 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area | $1,401.89 | $2,203.18 | |
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center | $1,229.68 | $1,938.26 | |
| Utilities for two (700 sq ft apartment) including electric, gas, water, heating | $142.67 | $152.69 | |
Pennsylvania vs. Massachusetts - Cost of housing
pay 30.2% more for childcare
Pennsylvania | Massachusetts | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly | $1,240.98 | $2,228.25 | |
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters | $30,464.89 | $24,653.85 | |
Pennsylvania vs. Massachusetts - Cost of childcare
pay 24.6% more for entertainment and sports
Pennsylvania | Massachusetts | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) | $5.29 | $6.61 | |
| Cappuccino in mid-range area | $5.04 | $4.91 | |
| Pack of cigarettes Marlboro or similar | $10.28 | $12.23 | |
| Monthly membership at local gym | $38.69 | $69.50 | |
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema | $14.09 | $14.41 | |
Pennsylvania vs. Massachusetts - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 2.5% more for clothing
Pennsylvania | Massachusetts | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular jeans Levi's brand | $50.59 | $51.65 | |
| Regular dress from H&M or similar store | $43.05 | $38.73 | |
| Running shoes Nike or Adidas | $83.26 | $87.67 | |
| Men's business shoes (leather) | $104.87 | $118.04 | |
Pennsylvania vs. Massachusetts - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2026
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