| Index | Back Bay-Beacon Hill | Boston | Massachusetts |
| Cost of living | 190 | 167 | 135 |
| Goods & Services | 117 | 117 | 122 |
| Groceries | 103 | 103 | 104 |
| Health care | 134 | 134 | 126 |
| Housing | 355 | 278 | 169 |
| Transportation | 105 | 105 | 106 |
| Utilities | 154 | 154 | 152 |
Why stop at city-to-city? With Local Insights, you can compare neighborhoods, zip codes, or even exact addresses. Access 300+ hyperlocal data points—from schools and crime to housing and amenities—to see which area is the better fit.
| Cost of living index | |
| Goods & Services index | |
| Groceries index | |
| Health care index | |
| Housing index | |
| Transportation index | |
| Utilities index |
| Median Income | Per Year | Per Month | Max Budget (28% DTI) | Max Budget (36% DTI) |
| Household | $138,891 | $11,574 | $3,241 | $4,167 |
| State | General Sales Tax | With Max Surtax |
| Massachusetts | 6.25% | 6.25% |
| State | Income Tax (Low) | Income Tax (High) |
| Massachusetts | 5% | 9% |
| Item | Boston | National avg. | Difference |
| Haircut | $51.40 | $27.62 | 86.1% |
| Beauty Salon | $73.19 | $51.11 | 43.2% |
| Toothpaste | $4.05 | $4.09 | 1.0% |
| Shampoo | $1.71 | $1.54 | 10.9% |
| Movie | $18.48 | $12.88 | 43.5% |
| Yoga | $29.34 | $19.66 | 49.2% |
| Item | Boston | National avg. | Difference |
| Ground Beef | $7.50 | $7.70 | 2.7% |
| Fried Chicken | $1.52 | $1.66 | 8.6% |
| Milk | $4.90 | $4.73 | 3.5% |
| Potatoes | $5.12 | $5.26 | 2.6% |
| Pizza | $12.24 | $12.76 | 4.1% |
| Beer | $10.73 | $10.55 | 1.7% |
| Item | Boston | National avg. | Difference |
| Optometrist | $264.09 | $140.06 | 88.6% |
| Doctor | $259.67 | $153.82 | 68.8% |
| Dentist | $152.78 | $123.15 | 24.1% |
| Ibuprofen | $12.07 | $11.73 | 2.9% |
| Lipitor | $23.76 | $23.61 | 0.6% |
| Item | Boston | National avg. | Difference |
| Home Price | $1,053,187.00 | $326,622.00 | 222.4% |
| Avg. Mortgage Payment | $5,097.43 | $2,480.25 | 105.5% |
| Apartment Rent | $2,520.00 | $1,444.00 | 74.5% |
| Item | Boston | National avg. | Difference |
| Gasoline | $3.02 | $3.06 | 1.2% |
| Tire Balancing | $77.81 | $65.21 | 19.3% |
| Item | Boston | National avg. | Difference |
| All Electricity | $414.84 | $220.12 | 88.5% |
| Phone | $191.78 | $195.71 | 2.0% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Southfield, MA | 0 | 119 | 18.8% |
| Randolph, MA | 34,560 | 127 | 27.3% |
| Holbrook, MA | 11,361 | 130 | 29.9% |
| Lynn, MA | 97,235 | 137 | 36.6% |
| Salem, MA | 44,881 | 139 | 39.0% |
| Boston, MA | 715,604 | 167 | 66.5% |
| City | Population | Cost of Living Index | National Avg. |
| Washington, DC | 721,713 | 163 | 63.1% |
| El Paso, TX | 703,663 | 90 | 9.7% |
| Brampton, ON | 735,754 | n/a | |
| Vancouver, BC | 694,440 | n/a | |
| Detroit, MI | 692,044 | 85 | 15.2% |
| Boston, MA | 715,604 | 167 | 66.5% |
Here are the best places to live in Massachusetts
These are the 10 cheapest cities in Massachusetts
Most Dangerous States In The US
These are the largest cities in Massachusetts