Cost of Living: Boston, MA vs Pittsfield, 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 Pittsfield, MA. In the model, rent is about 30.5% of gross in Boston, MA versus 15.94% in Pittsfield, MA, so Pittsfield, MA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Boston, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Pittsfield, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Boston, MA
30.5%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Pittsfield, MA
15.94%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Boston, MA and Pittsfield, MA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Pittsfield, MA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Pittsfield, MA
  • Lower home prices: Pittsfield, MA
  • Higher median household income: Boston, MA

Cost of Living Index

Boston, MA: 156.3 (U.S. = 100) · Pittsfield, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100)

Pittsfield, 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) · Pittsfield, MA: $1,040/mo

Median rent in Boston, MA is $949/mo higher than in Pittsfield, MA.

Median Home Price

Boston, MA: $710,400 · Pittsfield, MA: $233,700

Median home price in Boston, MA is $476,700 higher than in Pittsfield, MA.

Median Household Income

Boston, MA: $94,755 · Pittsfield, MA: $68,386

Boston, MA has a higher median household income than Pittsfield, MA by $26,369.

Boston, MA overview · Pittsfield, MA overview · Popular comparisons