What is the average rent in Boston?

A 1-bedroom apartment in Boston city centre costs approximately USD 3,347 per month. Outside the centre, rent drops to USD 2,654 (saving 21%). A 3-bedroom apartment in the centre costs around USD 5,918.

Is Boston affordable to live in?

Boston is very expensive by global standards. Groceries are expensive, restaurants are very expensive, and local purchasing power is average.

🇺🇸 MA, United States · 2026

Cost of Living in Boston

Q: How expensive is Boston compared to the rest of United States?

Boston ranks #9 out of 577 cities globally. It is 41.8% more expensive than the United States average, based on 82 cities. The rent index is 73.0 and local purchasing power is 136.4.

41.8% above the United States average

Ranked #9 of 577 cities · More expensive than 98.4% of cities worldwide

+41.8%

Cost of Living

+76.8%

Rent

+20.0%

Groceries

-5.4%

Purchasing Power

Compared to United States average · See United States ranking →

Rent Prices in Boston

Apartment	City Centre	Outside Centre	You Save
1-Bedroom	USD 3,347/mo	USD 2,654/mo	21%
3-Bedroom	USD 5,918/mo	USD 3,987/mo	33%

Numbeo · 2026-10-02

Prices of Goods & Services in Boston

Groceries

Item	Price	Sources
Apples (1kg)	$4.89	2 sources
Beer (0.5L, supermarket)	$3.00	2 sources
Bread (500g)	$3.45	2 sources
Local cheese (1kg)	$14.50	2 sources
Chicken (1kg)	$12.88	2 sources
Cigarettes (Marlboro)	$13.27	2 sources
Eggs (12)	$5.57	2 sources
Milk (1L)	$1.18	2 sources
Potatoes (1kg)	$4.36	2 sources
Tomatoes (1kg)	$7.80	2 sources
Water (1.5L)	$2.79	1 source
Wine (mid-range)	$17.10	2 sources

Apples (1kg)

$4.89

Beer (0.5L, supermarket)

$3.00

Bread (500g)

$3.45

Local cheese (1kg)

$14.50

Chicken (1kg)

$12.88

Cigarettes (Marlboro)

$13.27

Eggs (12)

$5.57

Milk (1L)

$1.18

Potatoes (1kg)

$4.36

Tomatoes (1kg)

$7.80

Water (1.5L)

$2.79

Wine (mid-range)

$17.10

Restaurants

Item	Price	Sources
Draft beer (0.5L)	$8.00	2 sources
Cappuccino	$5.56	2 sources
McMeal	$12.00	2 sources
Cheap meal	$24.00	2 sources
Mid-range dinner (2 people)	$130.50	2 sources

Draft beer (0.5L)

$8.00

Cappuccino

$5.56

McMeal

$12.00

Cheap meal

$24.00

Mid-range dinner (2 people)

$130.50

Clothing & Shoes

Item	Price	Sources
Business shoes (leather)	$153.76	2 sources
Jeans (Levi's 501)	$68.71	2 sources
Sport shoes (Nike)	$113.06	2 sources
Summer dress (Zara/H&M)	$42.31	2 sources

Business shoes (leather)

$153.76

Jeans (Levi's 501)

$68.71

Sport shoes (Nike)

$113.06

Summer dress (Zara/H&M)

$42.31

Leisure

Item	Price	Sources
Cinema ticket	$16.25	2 sources
Gym membership	$105.34	2 sources

Cinema ticket

$16.25

Gym membership

$105.34

Transportation

Item	Price	Sources
Gasoline (1L)	$0.87	2 sources
Taxi start	$2.60	1 source
Monthly pass	$90.00	2 sources

Gasoline (1L)

$0.87

Taxi start

$2.60

Monthly pass

$90.00

Utilities

Item	Price	Sources
Basic utilities (85m²)	$209.70	2 sources

Basic utilities (85m²)

$209.70

Prices in local currency, cross-referenced from multiple independent sources. October 2026.

Multi-Source Comparison

★★★ High Confidence

Boston has a cost of living index of 81.8 (New York = 100, rent included), the average of 4 of 4 data sources.

81.8

Index

Sources

11.9

Gap between sources

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo

83.2

Expatistan

75.0

LivingCost

86.9

ShouldIMove price index

82.0

ShouldIMove price index: our own basket of real item prices plus rent.

Eurostat Validation (EU27 = 100) Gov. Data

Eurostat

124.2

Based on 108 country PLI x 1.15 city factor

View all 577 cities | Data last updated: 2026-03-18

Cost Indices

Cost of Living

+41.8% Very expensive

Rent

+76.8% Very expensive

Groceries

+20.0% Expensive

Restaurants

+24.1% Very expensive

Purchasing Power

-5.4% Average

Living in Boston: What to Expect

Boston is very expensive by global standards (ranked #9 of 577 cities). It is 41.8% more expensive than the United States average, based on 82 cities.

Groceries are expensive and dining out is very expensive. The best value is groceries and the priciest is rent.

Local purchasing power is strong: residents can afford more goods and services than in most cities.

Cost of Living in Boston

Rent Prices in Boston

Prices of Goods & Services in Boston

Groceries

Restaurants

Clothing & Shoes

Leisure

Transportation

Utilities

Multi-Source Comparison

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Cost Indices

Living in Boston: What to Expect

How Does Boston Compare?

Planning a Move to Boston?