Boston vs Chicago - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Boston Chicago
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3680
$2851
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$8143
$6527
🏠 One person rent
$2555
$1714
🏘️ Family rent
$4103
$2737
🍽️ Food expenses
$749
$704
🚐 Transport expenses
$146
$212
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$6248
$5090
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
5 km
15 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
91
95
🏙️ Population
676K
2.75M

The cost of living in Boston is 29% more expensive than in Chicago. Cities ranked 27th and 358th ($3680 vs $2851) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 21st and 300th 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 20th vs 3rd best cities to live in the United States, and 105th vs 18th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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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
$24.8
$19.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$102
$84.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$12.7
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.02
$7.35
☕ Cappuccino
$5.38
$6.06
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.8
$2.85
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2870
$2011
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2200
$1414
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$5120
$3203
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3473
$2316
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$144
$117
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$224
$180
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$77.3
$63.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.34%
6.32%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$12808
$3899
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6220
$2568
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.39
$2.51
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$90.7
$82.6
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$17.9
$16.5
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.93
$1.12
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.14
$1.2
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.58
$3.67
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.32
$4.62
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.77
$5.11
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.7
$14.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.2
$14.5
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.8
$19.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.92
$4.78
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.89
$1.86
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.58
$3.96
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.74
$5.01
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.32
$2.39
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.19
$2.63
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.84
$1.79
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.94
$3.71
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.6
$16
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.98
$3.02
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13
$17.4
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.53
$11.6
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.96
$7.05
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4
$4.22
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.99
$2.31
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$89.6
$74.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$15.9
$17
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$192
$177
💇 Haircut, simple
$27.8
$32.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$73.4
$62.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$116
$105
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2859
$1582
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$26444
$27880

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Boston

Distance City Cost of living
4 km or 2.5 mi Cambridge
$3862
4.4 km or 2.7 mi Chelsea
$3168
4.5 km or 2.8 mi Somerville
$3685
5.6 km or 3.5 mi Everett
$3012
5.7 km or 3.5 mi Brookline
$3170
6.9 km or 4.3 mi Revere
$3028
7.4 km or 4.6 mi Malden
$3009
7.6 km or 4.7 mi Medford
$2712
10 km or 6.2 mi Belmont
$3028
10 km or 6.2 mi Arlington
$2977
10 km or 6.2 mi Watertown
$3000
11 km or 6.9 mi Melrose
$2914
12 km or 7.5 mi Milton
$3038
12 km or 7.5 mi Winchester
$2866
12 km or 7.7 mi Newton
$2910
13 km or 7.8 mi Saugus
$2866
13 km or 8.1 mi Quincy
$3232
14 km or 8.6 mi Stoneham
$2845
14 km or 8.9 mi Waltham
$2886
15 km or 9.4 mi Lynn
$2783
15 km or 9.5 mi Woburn
$2759
16 km or 9.6 mi Dedham
$2959
16 km or 10 mi Needham
$2901
16 km or 10 mi Lexington
$2794
16 km or 10 mi Wakefield
$2851
18 km or 11 mi Braintree
$3007
18 km or 11 mi Weymouth
$3005
19 km or 12 mi Reading
$2796
19 km or 12 mi Hingham
$2963
20 km or 12 mi Burlington
$2420
20 km or 13 mi Wellesley
$2828
21 km or 13 mi Norwood
$2906
22 km or 14 mi Peabody
$2867
22 km or 14 mi Randolph
$2923
22 km or 14 mi Salem
$3022
23 km or 14 mi Wilmington
$2636
23 km or 14 mi Marblehead
$2855
23 km or 14 mi Canton
$2900
25 km or 16 mi Natick
$2890
26 km or 16 mi Stoughton
$2890

Cities near Chicago

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Cicero
$2444
14 km or 8.8 mi Berwyn
$2399
14 km or 8.9 mi Oak Park
$2440
16 km or 10 mi Elmwood Park
$2425
18 km or 11 mi Maywood
$2423
18 km or 11 mi Evanston
$2232
19 km or 12 mi Skokie
$2309
19 km or 12 mi Burbank
$2454
20 km or 12 mi Melrose Park
$2430
21 km or 13 mi Oak Lawn
$2463
22 km or 14 mi Morton Grove
$2376
22 km or 14 mi Niles
$2394
23 km or 14 mi Park Ridge
$2461
23 km or 14 mi Wilmette
$2323
25 km or 16 mi Blue Island
$2444
26 km or 16 mi Elmhurst
$2483
27 km or 17 mi Glenview
$2436
28 km or 17 mi Des Plaines
$2569
28 km or 18 mi Dolton
$2436
29 km or 18 mi Villa Park
$2508
30 km or 19 mi Harvey
$2425
30 km or 19 mi East Chicago
$1751
30 km or 19 mi Westmont
$2440
31 km or 19 mi Calumet
$2443
31 km or 20 mi South Holland
$2439
32 km or 20 mi Lombard
$2580
32 km or 20 mi Hammond
$1761
32 km or 20 mi Oak Forest
$2429
33 km or 20 mi Northbrook
$2400
33 km or 20 mi Mount Prospect
$2508
33 km or 20 mi Darien
$2463
33 km or 21 mi Elk Grove Village
$2543
34 km or 21 mi Downers Grove
$2418
35 km or 22 mi Orland Park
$2438
36 km or 22 mi Lansing
$2425
36 km or 22 mi Glen Ellyn
$2406
37 km or 23 mi Highland Park
$2418
37 km or 23 mi Munster
$1784
37 km or 23 mi Tinley Park
$2423
37 km or 23 mi Wheeling
$2453