🇺🇸 MA, United States · #25 of 538 cities · 2026

Cost of Living in Boston

11.9% above the United States average

Ranked #25 of 538 cities · More expensive than 95.4% of cities worldwide

Compared to United States average

Rent Prices

Rent Prices in Boston

Apartment City Centre Outside Centre You Save
1-Bedroom USD 3,408/mo USD 2,563/mo 25%
3-Bedroom USD 6,180/mo USD 3,864/mo 25%
Numbeo · 2026-03-12

Multi-Source Comparison

★★ Medium Confidence

Boston has a composite cost index of 65.9 from 3 independent data sources.

65.9
Composite
3
Sources
4.6
Spread

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo
61.3
Expatistan
65.9
LivingCost
No data
SIM
82.0
Eurostat Validation (EU27 = 100) Gov. Data
Eurostat
124.2

Based on 108 country PLI x 1.15 city factor

View all 127 cities | Data last updated: 2026-03-18

Cost Indices

Cost of Living
+11.9% Expensive
Rent
+29.6% Very expensive
Groceries
+10.0% Expensive
Restaurants
+10.7% Expensive
Purchasing Power
+11.5% Strong

Living in Boston: What to Expect

Boston is expensive by global standards (ranked #25 of 538 cities). It is 11.9% more expensive than the United States average, based on 74 cities.

Groceries are expensive, while dining out is expensive. Groceries offers the best value, while Rent is the priciest.

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

Similar Cities

How Does Boston Compare?

Planning a Move to Boston?

Compare cost of living with your current city, or calculate your net salary after tax.

Decision guide
Should I Move to Boston?
Rankings
Cheapest Cities in the World

Relocation Toolkit

Trusted services for your move

We may earn a commission if you sign up — at no extra cost to you.