Cost of Living: Burlington, 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 Burlington, MA versus $4,224/mo in Cambridge, MA. In the model, rent is about 37.83% of gross in Burlington, MA versus 39.96% in Cambridge, MA, so Burlington, MA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Burlington, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Cambridge, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Burlington, MA
37.83%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Cambridge, MA
39.96%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Burlington, MA and Cambridge, MA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Burlington, 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

Burlington, MA: $2,467/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Cambridge, MA: $2,605/mo

Median rent in Cambridge, MA is $138/mo higher than in Burlington, MA.

Median Home Price

Burlington, MA: $679,400 · Cambridge, MA: $1,040,500

Median home price in Cambridge, MA is $361,100 higher than in Burlington, MA.

Median Household Income

Burlington, MA: $142,207 · Cambridge, MA: $126,469

Burlington, MA has a higher median household income than Cambridge, MA by $15,738.

Burlington, MA overview · Cambridge, MA overview · Popular comparisons