Cost of living in Boston

Composed in-house · four inputs · 14% of the overall score

77/100
14th of 60

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The four inputs

Housing cost index104

Boston 10045% · scores 74

Effective property tax rate0.67%

Boston 1.01%25% · scores 87

Utilities86

Boston 10020% · scores 74

Local sales tax6.25%

Boston median 6.25%10% · scores 75

Vertical rule marks the Boston reference. Composed in-house · ACS 2020–24. Every scale is on the methodology page.

Best Boston suburbs for cost of living

All 60 ranked, Boston highlighted

1PeabodyA−$596,200 2DerryA−$391,200 3WoburnB+$673,500 4BeverlyB+$650,300 5PortsmouthB+$688,500 6HudsonB+$473,300 7Weymouth TownB+$552,100 8GloucesterB+$600,600 9LowellB+$429,200 10LawrenceB+$415,200 11NorwoodB+$651,700 12WalthamB+$748,700 13WakefieldB+$723,500 14BostonB$731,700 15ChelseaB$493,500 16DoverB$436,700 17CambridgeB$1,092,100 18SalemB$542,800 19RochesterB$279,100 20DanversB$644,200 21MelroseB$822,900 22HaverhillB$453,900 23AmesburyB$519,300 24StonehamB$671,900 25MethuenB$499,700 26ArlingtonB$933,800 27BrocktonB$437,500 28SomervilleB$911,300 29Braintree TownB$656,800 30AbingtonB−$539,600 31WilmingtonB−$680,500 32NewburyportB−$834,000 33MarlboroughB−$513,100 34QuincyB−$618,500 35Franklin TownB−$611,700 36LynnB−$510,100 37RevereB−$597,400 38Winthrop TownB−$649,600 39EverettB−$610,000 40MaldenB−$633,500 41MarbleheadB−$943,900 42BrooklineB−$1,246,800 43ReadingB−$809,000 44SwampscottB−$771,100 45Bridgewater TownB−$533,100 46MedfordB−$755,500 47DedhamB−$661,800 48BurlingtonC+$740,600 49FraminghamC+$627,300 50NewtonC+$1,264,900 51Randolph TownC+$496,400 52SaugusC+$603,400 53WatertownC+$784,600 54MiltonC+$933,200 55LexingtonC+$1,203,100 56NeedhamC+$1,188,500 57WellesleyC+$1,582,700 58LynnfieldC+$917,600 59WinchesterC$1,215,200 60BelmontC$1,159,000

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Better than Boston on cost of living

Boston grades B on cost of living. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.

SuburbCost of livingMedian home valueEff. tax rateOverall

Peabody14 mi from BostonA−$596k0.78% 57 C− Woburn12 mi from BostonB+$674k0.77% 63 C+ Beverly17 mi from BostonB+$650k1.04% 56 C− Weymouth Town10 mi from BostonB+$552k0.94% 55 C− Waltham12 mi from BostonB+$749k0.69% 65 C+ Norwood14 mi from BostonB+$652k0.91% 61 C

Cost-of-living index composed in-house from housing cost, utilities, effective property tax and local sales tax · Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Effective property tax: ACS 2020–24

Six Boston lists

Best Boston suburbs for families Most affordable Boston suburbs Best Boston suburbs for schools Shortest commutes to Downtown Boston Most walkable Boston suburbs Best Boston suburbs for young professionals

Compare Boston

Boston vs Winthrop Town Every Boston suburb, side by side

How this works

How we score Boston suburbs — every weight and source Twelve guides to moving to Boston