Cost of Living: Boston, MA vs Cambridge, MA
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Boston, MA versus $4,224/mo in Cambridge, MA. In the model, rent is about 30.5% of gross in Boston, MA versus 39.96% in Cambridge, MA, so Boston, MA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Boston, MA and Cambridge, MA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Cambridge, MA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Boston, MA
- Lower home prices: Boston, MA
- Higher median household income: Cambridge, MA
Cost of Living Index
Boston, MA: 156.3 (U.S. = 100) · Cambridge, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100)
Cambridge, MA has a lower cost-of-living index than Boston, MA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
Boston, MA: $1,989/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Cambridge, MA: $2,605/mo
Median rent in Cambridge, MA is $616/mo higher than in Boston, MA.
Median Home Price
Boston, MA: $710,400 · Cambridge, MA: $1,040,500
Median home price in Cambridge, MA is $330,100 higher than in Boston, MA.
Median Household Income
Boston, MA: $94,755 · Cambridge, MA: $126,469
Cambridge, MA has a higher median household income than Boston, MA by $31,714.
Boston, MA overview · Cambridge, MA overview · Popular comparisons