Cost of Living: Malden, 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 Malden, MA versus $4,224/mo in Cambridge, MA. In the model, rent is about 30.1% of gross in Malden, MA versus 39.96% in Cambridge, MA, so Malden, MA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Malden, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Cambridge, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Malden, MA
30.1%
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 Malden, MA and Cambridge, MA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Malden, 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

Malden, MA: $1,963/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Cambridge, MA: $2,605/mo

Median rent in Cambridge, MA is $642/mo higher than in Malden, MA.

Median Home Price

Malden, MA: $607,500 · Cambridge, MA: $1,040,500

Median home price in Cambridge, MA is $433,000 higher than in Malden, MA.

Median Household Income

Malden, MA: $95,298 · Cambridge, MA: $126,469

Cambridge, MA has a higher median household income than Malden, MA by $31,171.

Malden, MA overview · Cambridge, MA overview · Popular comparisons