Boston vs Los Angeles - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Boston Los Angeles
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3467
$3187
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$7682
$7653
🏠 One person rent
$2394
$2045
🏘️ Family rent
$3923
$3732
🍽️ Food expenses
$726
$714
🚐 Transport expenses
$146
$218
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5787
$5275
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
5 km
17 km
🎓 Higher education
100
99
😀 Quality of life
92
94
🏙️ Population
676K
3.9M

The cost of living in Boston is 9% more expensive than in Los Angeles. Cities ranked 32nd and 72nd ($3467 vs $3187) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 28th and 59th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.7 months in Boston compared to 1.7 months in Los Angeles. Ranked 15th vs 8th best cities to live in the United States, and 89th vs 47th 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 Los Angeles infographic

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Prices in Boston vs Los Angeles

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

Boston Los Angeles
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21.3
$21.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$93.5
$103
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$13.1
$12.3
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.4
$7.95
 Cappuccino
$5.78
$5.63
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.16
$2.93
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2739
$2261
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2042
$1732
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4881
$3983
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3321
$3315
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$144
$139
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$222
$215
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$68.4
$67.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.53%
6.58%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$11569
$7592
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6730
$7011
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.4
$1.76
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$90.4
$73.9
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$18
$16.3
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.95
$1.36
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.21
$1.26
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.86
$4.22
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.86
$4.49
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.16
$5.2
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$17.4
$13.3
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.3
$13.7
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$20.7
$17.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.07
$5.19
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.14
$2.32
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.77
$3.72
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.47
$4.63
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.73
$2.59
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.78
$2.64
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.76
$1.45
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.74
$3.29
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.1
$15.7
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.72
$3.35
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13.4
$12
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.76
$10.4
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.03
$8.06
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.03
$4.89
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2
$2.21
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$81
$57.8
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$16.1
$18.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$164
$174
💇 Haircut, simple
$21.7
$27.2
👖 Brand Jeans
$60.7
$61
👟 Brand Sneakers
$100
$100
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2437
$1998
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$25118
$28613

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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 Los Angeles

Distance City Cost of living
8.1 km or 5 mi Huntington Park
$2682
8.9 km or 5.5 mi Maywood
$2673
9.2 km or 5.7 mi Florence-Graham
$2720
10 km or 6.2 mi Bell
$2652
10 km or 6.2 mi Monterey Park
$2748
11 km or 6.6 mi Alhambra
$2883
11 km or 6.6 mi South Pasadena
$2849
11 km or 7 mi Cudahy
$2604
12 km or 7.6 mi San Gabriel
$2984
12 km or 7.7 mi Bell Gardens
$2561
12 km or 7.8 mi West Hollywood
$2738
13 km or 7.8 mi Montebello
$2675
13 km or 8 mi South Gate
$2612
13 km or 8.2 mi Glendale
$3553
14 km or 8.8 mi Inglewood
$2831
15 km or 9 mi Beverly Hills
$2289
15 km or 9.1 mi Lynwood
$2633
15 km or 9.3 mi Rosemead
$2733
15 km or 9.5 mi Culver
$2844
15 km or 9.6 mi Pasadena
$3327
16 km or 9.9 mi Pico Rivera
$2638
16 km or 10 mi Burbank
$3271
16 km or 10 mi Downey
$2354
17 km or 11 mi Compton
$2709
18 km or 11 mi La Canada Flintridge
$3009
18 km or 11 mi Hawthorne
$2861
18 km or 11 mi Temple
$2776
18 km or 11 mi South El Monte
$2714
18 km or 11 mi West Whittier-Los Nietos
$2629
18 km or 11 mi Paramount
$2572
19 km or 12 mi Gardena
$2866
20 km or 12 mi El Monte
$2715
21 km or 13 mi Lawndale
$3054
21 km or 13 mi Arcadia
$2717
21 km or 13 mi Bellflower
$2552
22 km or 14 mi Norwalk
$2569
22 km or 14 mi Santa Monica
$3589
22 km or 14 mi Whittier
$2673
23 km or 15 mi Manhattan Beach
$3065
24 km or 15 mi Carson
$2754