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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Here's Boston by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. And in practical terms, cost index: 205. Rent: $3,510/month. Income: $94,755/year. Home price: $768,702. Population: 653,833. The strongest category is Healthcare at 121; the most expensive is Housing at 205. Translate that rent to annual num…
#1 Ranked: Boston — cost index 205, rent $3,510/mo, income $94,755
73-point cost gap between #1 and #4
0 of 4 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Boston | 9% | 6.25% | 1.04% | $63,079 |
2Worcester | 9% | 6.25% | 1.04% | $63,079 |
3Cambridge | 9% | 6.25% | 1.04% | $63,079 |
4Lowell | 9% | 6.25% | 1.04% | $63,079 |
Here's Boston by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. And in practical terms, cost index: 205. Rent: $3,510/month. Income: $94,755/year. Home price: $768,702. Population: 653,833. The strongest category is Healthcare at 121; the most expensive is Housing at 205. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $19,380 more per year vs. the national median. For anyone relocating from a high-cost market, this will feel like a raise (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Tax burden isn't just income tax. We combine three layers: state income tax (9% in Boston), combined state+local sales tax (6.25%), and effective property tax (1.04%). At 9% state income tax, the real differentiator becomes sales and property tax rates. On a $75,000 salary, the estimated take-home in #1 Boston is $50,960/year.
Let's be honest: Massachusetts isn't cheap. But within that premium market, there are cities where your dollar stretches meaningfully further. Boston proves it with a cost index of 205, the lowest in Massachusetts, and we've ranked all 4 contenders to help you find the best deal in an expensive landscape.
What's equally notable: Here's the state-level backdrop: Massachusetts averages a 165 cost index, $2,819/mo rent, and $91,243 income across 4 cities. That's $924 more than the national rent average. Boston's biotech boom and old-money pricing — and that context shapes every city in this ranking.
73-point cost gap between #1 and #4. And on balance, boston (index 205) and Lowell (index 132) sit 73 points apart on the cost index — proof that Massachusetts is far from monolithic in affordability.
Bottom line: Boston leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Nothing too surprising there. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
Boston (index 205) and Lowell (index 132) sit 73 points apart on the cost index — proof that Massachusetts is far from monolithic in affordability.
Rent ranges from $3,510/mo in Boston to $2,262/mo in Lowell — a monthly difference of $1,248, or $14,976 per year.
653,833 residents · Massachusetts
What does daily life actually cost in Boston? Start with the 44% rent-to-income ratio — stretched, especially for single earners. On the category level, Healthcare (index 121) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 205) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $94,755 and homes at $768,702 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
207,621 residents · Massachusetts
A closer look at Worcester: the cost index of 126 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 105 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 126 (weakest). And in most cases, median rent is $2,150/month — 13% above the national median — while household income sits at $67,544, meaning locals spend about 38% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
118,214 residents · Massachusetts
Dive into Cambridge's numbers: cost index 196 (85 points above national average), rent $3,355/month, income $126,469, and a home price of $1,019,841. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Healthcare is the cheapest category at 119, while Housing runs 196. With 118,214 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs (more on that below).
114,296 residents · Massachusetts
In plain English: a closer look at Lowell: the cost index of 132 — whether that matters depends on your situation — breaks down to a Healthcare index of 106 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 132 (weakest). Median rent is $2,262/month — 19% above the national median — while household income sits at $76,205, meaning locals spend about 36% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
Total tax burden = state income tax rate + combined sales tax rate + effective property tax rate. We rank cities from lowest combined burden to highest. Keep in mind property tax and sales tax are local-level, so two cities in the same state can differ meaningfully. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Boston ranks #1 in Massachusetts for this analysis with a cost index of 205 and median income of $94,755.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Boston (ranked #1) has a cost index of 205 and rent of $3,510/mo, while Lowell (ranked #4) has a cost index of 132 and rent of $2,262/mo — a 73-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Boston is $3,510/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $1,615 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Boston is $768,702, which is 8.1× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Massachusetts has a 9% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.25%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.04%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.