Cost of Living: Boston, MA vs Springfield, 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 Springfield, MA. In the model, rent is about 30.5% of gross in Boston, MA versus 16.23% in Springfield, MA, so Springfield, MA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Boston, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Springfield, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: above
Rent share (1BR) in Boston, MA
30.5%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Springfield, MA
16.23%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

Springfield, 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) · Springfield, MA: $1,059/mo

Median rent in Boston, MA is $930/mo higher than in Springfield, MA.

Median Home Price

Boston, MA: $710,400 · Springfield, MA: $222,700

Median home price in Boston, MA is $487,700 higher than in Springfield, MA.

Median Household Income

Boston, MA: $94,755 · Springfield, MA: $51,339

Boston, MA has a higher median household income than Springfield, MA by $43,416.

Boston, MA overview · Springfield, MA overview · Popular comparisons