Boston vs Chicago - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Boston Chicago
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3467
$2667
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$7682
$6807
🏠 One person rent
$2394
$1579
🏘️ Family rent
$3923
$3056
🍽️ Food expenses
$726
$700
🚐 Transport expenses
$146
$205
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5787
$4901
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
5 km
15 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
92
96
🏙️ Population
676K
2.75M

The cost of living in Boston is 30% more expensive than in Chicago. Cities ranked 32nd and 483rd ($3467 vs $2667) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 28th and 425th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.7 months in Boston compared to 1.8 months in Chicago. Ranked 15th vs 3rd best cities to live in the United States, and 89th vs 20th among the best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Boston vs Chicago infographic

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Prices in Boston vs Chicago

Prices for goods and services in Boston and Chicago are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Boston Chicago
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21.3
$21
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$93.5
$87.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$13.1
$11.7
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.4
$7.62
☕ Cappuccino
$5.78
$5.4
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.16
$3.12
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2739
$1974
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2042
$1280
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4881
$3828
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3321
$2594
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$144
$102
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$222
$156
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$68.4
$59.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.53%
6.61%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$11569
$3554
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6730
$3158
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.4
$2.49
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$90.4
$76.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$18
$16.6
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.95
$1.12
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.21
$1.02
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.86
$3.92
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.86
$5
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.16
$3.69
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$17.4
$14.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.3
$12.8
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$20.7
$19.9
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.07
$4.97
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.14
$1.91
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.77
$4.81
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.47
$4.56
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.73
$2.34
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.78
$3.08
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.76
$1.93
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.74
$2.86
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.1
$14.8
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.72
$2.9
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13.4
$16.6
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.76
$11.6
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.03
$6.03
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.03
$3.65
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2
$1.81
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$81
$63.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$16.1
$15
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$164
$126
💇 Haircut, simple
$21.7
$29.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$60.7
$62.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$100
$95.5
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2437
$2457
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$25118
$19423

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Cities near Boston

Distance City Cost of living
4 km or 2.5 mi Cambridge
$3756
4.4 km or 2.7 mi Chelsea
$3040
4.5 km or 2.8 mi Somerville
$3647
5.6 km or 3.5 mi Everett
$2916
5.7 km or 3.5 mi Brookline
$3093
6.9 km or 4.3 mi Revere
$2932
7.4 km or 4.6 mi Malden
$3008
7.6 km or 4.7 mi Medford
$2349
10 km or 6.2 mi Belmont
$2951
10 km or 6.2 mi Arlington
$2847
10 km or 6.2 mi Watertown
$2913
11 km or 6.9 mi Melrose
$2826
12 km or 7.5 mi Milton
$2938
12 km or 7.5 mi Winchester
$2755
12 km or 7.7 mi Newton
$2790
13 km or 7.8 mi Saugus
$2897
13 km or 8.1 mi Quincy
$3122
14 km or 8.6 mi Stoneham
$2778
14 km or 8.9 mi Waltham
$2817
15 km or 9.4 mi Lynn
$3172
15 km or 9.5 mi Woburn
$2735
16 km or 9.6 mi Dedham
$2869
16 km or 10 mi Needham
$2797
16 km or 10 mi Lexington
$2746
16 km or 10 mi Wakefield
$2846
18 km or 11 mi Braintree
$2925
18 km or 11 mi Weymouth
$2920
19 km or 12 mi Reading
$2773
19 km or 12 mi Hingham
$2869
20 km or 12 mi Burlington
$2443
20 km or 13 mi Wellesley
$2798
21 km or 13 mi Norwood
$2804
22 km or 14 mi Peabody
$2878
22 km or 14 mi Randolph
$2848
22 km or 14 mi Salem
$3005
23 km or 14 mi Wilmington
$2607
23 km or 14 mi Marblehead
$2853
23 km or 14 mi Canton
$2815
25 km or 16 mi Natick
$2961
26 km or 16 mi Stoughton
$2803

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2427
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2463
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2424
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2375
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2376
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2177
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2307
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2344
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2352
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2326
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2367
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2412
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2393
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2292
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2313
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2305
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2360
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2358
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2292
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2268
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2292
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1950
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2293
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2296
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2295
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2224
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1975
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2276
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2392
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2363
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2276
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2380
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2290
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2269
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2280
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2134
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2331
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$2002
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2274
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2357