Cost of Living: Lowell, MA vs Boston, MA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Lowell, MA versus $4,224/mo in Boston, MA. In the model, rent is about 23.37% of gross in Lowell, MA versus 30.5% in Boston, MA, so Lowell, MA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Lowell, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Boston, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Lowell, MA
23.37%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Boston, MA
30.5%
COLI tier: very high-cost

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

Lowell, MA has a lower cost-of-living index than Boston, MA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Lowell, MA: $1,523/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Boston, MA: $1,989/mo

Median rent in Boston, MA is $466/mo higher than in Lowell, MA.

Median Home Price

Lowell, MA: $395,100 · Boston, MA: $710,400

Median home price in Boston, MA is $315,300 higher than in Lowell, MA.

Median Household Income

Lowell, MA: $76,205 · Boston, MA: $94,755

Boston, MA has a higher median household income than Lowell, MA by $18,550.

Lowell, MA overview · Boston, MA overview · Popular comparisons