Cost of Living: Brookline, 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 Brookline, MA versus $4,224/mo in Cambridge, MA. In the model, rent is about 40.85% of gross in Brookline, MA versus 39.96% in Cambridge, MA, so Cambridge, MA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Brookline, MA and Cambridge, MA.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Cambridge, MA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Cambridge, MA
- Lower home prices: Cambridge, MA
- Higher median household income: Brookline, MA
Cost of Living Index
Brookline, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Cambridge, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100)
Both cities have the same cost-of-living index (U.S. average = 100).
Median Rent
Brookline, MA: $2,664/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Cambridge, MA: $2,605/mo
Median rent in Brookline, MA is $59/mo higher than in Cambridge, MA.
Median Home Price
Brookline, MA: $1,233,100 · Cambridge, MA: $1,040,500
Median home price in Brookline, MA is $192,600 higher than in Cambridge, MA.
Median Household Income
Brookline, MA: $140,631 · Cambridge, MA: $126,469
Brookline, MA has a higher median household income than Cambridge, MA by $14,162.
Brookline, MA overview · Cambridge, MA overview · Popular comparisons