Boston vs Detroit - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Boston Detroit
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3345
$1979
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$7700
$4857
🏠 One person rent
$2257
$1158
🏘️ Family rent
$3867
$2113
🍽️ Food expenses
$739
$587
🚐 Transport expenses
$146
$97.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5860
$4187
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
5 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
100
77
😀 Quality of life
92
89
🏙️ Population
676K
639K

The cost of living in Boston is 69% more expensive than in Detroit. Cities ranked 35th and 1843rd ($3345 vs $1979) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 30th and 1594th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Boston compared to 2.1 months in Detroit. Ranked 10th vs 38th best cities to live in the United States, and 83rd vs 172nd 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 Detroit infographic

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Prices in Boston vs Detroit

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

Boston Detroit
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$22.1
$14.1
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$90.5
$65.4
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$9.96
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.95
$5.69
 Cappuccino
$5.4
$4.84
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.65
$2.1
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2636
$1199
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1919
$872
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4850
$2954
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3294
$1523
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$127
$152
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$194
$235
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$67.3
$68.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.55%
6.48%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$11687
$1060
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6831
$975
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.4
$2.01
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$90.6
$53.7
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$17.9
$12.8
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.97
$0.9
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.24
$0.91
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$4.14
$2.98
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.26
$4.8
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.29
$3.62
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.4
$12.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.4
$11.8
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$20.6
$23.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.47
$4.1
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.08
$1.36
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.3
$5.1
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.24
$4.2
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.43
$3.13
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.73
$2.82
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.67
$1.66
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.3
$2.25
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.6
$9.62
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.91
$1.81
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13.1
$9
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$10.3
$11.5
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.01
$5.58
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.02
$3.63
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.01
$1.89
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$93
$29.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$16
$11.4
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$165
$107
💇 Haircut, simple
$24.2
$16.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$60.3
$42.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$93.5
$84.4
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2399
$1283
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$27937
$16868

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Cities near Boston

Distance City Cost of living
4 km or 2.5 mi Cambridge
$3795
4.4 km or 2.7 mi Chelsea
$3105
4.5 km or 2.8 mi Somerville
$3630
5.6 km or 3.5 mi Everett
$2892
5.7 km or 3.5 mi Brookline
$3114
6.9 km or 4.3 mi Revere
$2953
7.4 km or 4.6 mi Malden
$2770
7.6 km or 4.7 mi Medford
$2989
10 km or 6.2 mi Belmont
$3022
10 km or 6.2 mi Arlington
$3023
10 km or 6.2 mi Watertown
$2958
11 km or 6.9 mi Melrose
$2802
12 km or 7.5 mi Milton
$2947
12 km or 7.5 mi Winchester
$2820
12 km or 7.7 mi Newton
$2890
13 km or 7.8 mi Saugus
$2841
13 km or 8.1 mi Quincy
$3122
14 km or 8.6 mi Stoneham
$2761
14 km or 8.9 mi Waltham
$2846
15 km or 9.4 mi Lynn
$3042
15 km or 9.5 mi Woburn
$2618
16 km or 9.6 mi Dedham
$2847
16 km or 10 mi Needham
$2796
16 km or 10 mi Lexington
$2723
16 km or 10 mi Wakefield
$2746
18 km or 11 mi Braintree
$2915
18 km or 11 mi Weymouth
$2905
19 km or 12 mi Reading
$2698
19 km or 12 mi Hingham
$2859
20 km or 12 mi Burlington
$2338
20 km or 13 mi Wellesley
$2677
21 km or 13 mi Norwood
$2773
22 km or 14 mi Peabody
$2556
22 km or 14 mi Randolph
$2823
22 km or 14 mi Salem
$2537
23 km or 14 mi Wilmington
$2522
23 km or 14 mi Marblehead
$2594
23 km or 14 mi Canton
$2787
25 km or 16 mi Natick
$2395
26 km or 16 mi Stoughton
$2750

Cities near Detroit

Distance City Cost of living
1.9 km or 1.2 mi Windsor
$1790
7.4 km or 4.6 mi Hamtramck
$1935
14 km or 8.6 mi Dearborn
$1882
15 km or 9.1 mi Lincoln Park
$1848
16 km or 9.8 mi Allen Park
$1847
16 km or 10 mi Ferndale
$1906
17 km or 10 mi Wyandotte
$1749
17 km or 11 mi Eastpointe
$1887
18 km or 11 mi Madison Heights
$1881
18 km or 11 mi Warren
$1828
19 km or 12 mi Oak Park
$1932
19 km or 12 mi Southgate
$1841
19 km or 12 mi Royal Oak
$1905
20 km or 12 mi Dearborn Heights
$1912
21 km or 13 mi Roseville
$1893
21 km or 13 mi Taylor
$1718
21 km or 13 mi Southfield
$1954
22 km or 14 mi St. Clair Shores
$1900
22 km or 14 mi Inkster
$1877
24 km or 15 mi Garden
$1935
26 km or 16 mi Amherstburg
$1813
27 km or 17 mi Birmingham
$1904
28 km or 17 mi Sterling Heights
$1939
28 km or 17 mi Livonia
$1934
29 km or 18 mi Troy
$1753
29 km or 18 mi Westland
$1950
30 km or 19 mi Clinton Township
$1903
31 km or 19 mi Romulus
$1899
32 km or 20 mi Farmington Hills
$1748
37 km or 23 mi Rochester Hills
$1898
39 km or 24 mi Novi
$2298
40 km or 25 mi Pontiac
$1921
42 km or 26 mi Auburn Hills
$1928
54 km or 34 mi Monroe
$1632
58 km or 36 mi Ann Arbor
$2104
71 km or 44 mi Chatham-Kent
$1856
86 km or 54 mi Toledo
$1704
88 km or 54 mi Burton
$1529
88 km or 54 mi Port Huron
$1890
89 km or 55 mi Sarnia
$1614