Cost of Living: Medford, 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 Medford, MA versus $4,224/mo in Cambridge, MA. In the model, rent is about 36.09% of gross in Medford, MA versus 39.96% in Cambridge, MA, so Medford, MA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Medford, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Cambridge, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Medford, MA
36.09%
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 Medford, MA and Cambridge, MA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Medford, 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

Medford, MA: $2,353/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Cambridge, MA: $2,605/mo

Median rent in Cambridge, MA is $252/mo higher than in Medford, MA.

Median Home Price

Medford, MA: $715,500 · Cambridge, MA: $1,040,500

Median home price in Cambridge, MA is $325,000 higher than in Medford, MA.

Median Household Income

Medford, MA: $118,089 · Cambridge, MA: $126,469

Cambridge, MA has a higher median household income than Medford, MA by $8,380.

Medford, MA overview · Cambridge, MA overview · Popular comparisons