Cost of Living: Waltham, 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 Waltham, MA versus $4,224/mo in Boston, MA. In the model, rent is about 32.52% of gross in Waltham, MA versus 30.5% in Boston, MA, so Boston, MA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Waltham, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Boston, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Waltham, MA
32.52%
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 Waltham, MA and Boston, MA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

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

Median Rent

Waltham, MA: $2,121/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Boston, MA: $1,989/mo

Median rent in Waltham, MA is $132/mo higher than in Boston, MA.

Median Home Price

Waltham, MA: $705,700 · Boston, MA: $710,400

Median home price in Boston, MA is $4,700 higher than in Waltham, MA.

Median Household Income

Waltham, MA: $116,560 · Boston, MA: $94,755

Waltham, MA has a higher median household income than Boston, MA by $21,805.

Waltham, MA overview · Boston, MA overview · Popular comparisons