Moving to Massachusetts from United States
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from United States to Massachusetts — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from United States to Massachusetts, you would find that Massachusetts is 11.1% more expensive than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly $73,197 in Massachusetts to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from United States to Massachusetts.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $73,197
To maintain the same standard of living in Massachusetts
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 6.8% more
Groceries
pay 5.0% more
Transportation
pay 0.5% less
Housing
pay 18.4% more
Childcare
pay 33.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 14.6% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Massachusetts cost about 8% less than cities in United States.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from United States to Massachusetts.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Massachusetts performs significantly better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
United States performs better than Massachusetts across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Massachusetts generally does better on employment & economy, though United States leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
United States performs better than Massachusetts across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Washington | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Massachusetts than United States?
Costs in Massachusetts and United States are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to Massachusetts?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $18,299 in Massachusetts on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Massachusetts?
Usually fine from major cities in Massachusetts. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Massachusetts compared to United States?
Massachusetts performs significantly better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Massachusetts compared to United States?
The average high temperature in Boston is 59°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Boston receives around 43.8 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
What language do they speak in Massachusetts?
Both United States and Massachusetts share the same official language: English.
