Boston vs Raleigh - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Boston Raleigh
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3467
$2477
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$7682
$5984
🏠 One person rent
$2394
$1542
🏘️ Family rent
$3923
$2792
🍽️ Food expenses
$726
$647
🚐 Transport expenses
$146
$98.6
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5787
$4931
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
5 km
14 km
🎓 Higher education
100
82
😀 Quality of life
92
89
🏙️ Population
676K
468K

The cost of living in Boston is 40% more expensive than in Raleigh. Cities ranked 32nd and 806th ($3467 vs $2477) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 28th and 719th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.7 months in Boston compared to 2 months in Raleigh. Ranked 15th vs 49th best cities to live in the United States, and 89th vs 202nd among the best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Boston vs Raleigh infographic

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Prices in Boston vs Raleigh

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

Boston Raleigh
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21.3
$18
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$93.5
$77.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$13.1
$10.4
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.4
$6.03
 Cappuccino
$5.78
$5.49
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.16
$2.95
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2739
$1570
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2042
$1231
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4881
$2956
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3321
$2331
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$144
$166
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$222
$258
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$68.4
$77.4
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.53%
6.54%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$11569
$7431
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6730
$3484
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.4
$2.25
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$90.4
$61.2
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$18
$15.1
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.95
$0.88
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.21
$0.99
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.86
$4.08
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.86
$4.41
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.16
$3.78
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$17.4
$12.9
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.3
$11.7
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$20.7
$18.6
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.07
$5.67
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.14
$1.71
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.77
$5.94
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.47
$5.28
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.73
$2.67
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.78
$2.98
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.76
$1.69
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.74
$2.39
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.1
$15.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.72
$2.76
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13.4
$7.71
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.76
$10.3
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.03
$3.96
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.03
$4.23
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2
$2.56
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$81
$42.4
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$16.1
$14.2
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$164
$158
💇 Haircut, simple
$21.7
$23.2
👖 Brand Jeans
$60.7
$60.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$100
$107
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2437
$1530
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$25118
$22229

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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 Raleigh

Distance City Cost of living
12 km or 7.6 mi Garner
$2278
15 km or 9.1 mi Cary
$2383
17 km or 10 mi Morrisville
$1859
21 km or 13 mi Wake Forest
$2228
21 km or 13 mi Apex
$2217
25 km or 16 mi Holly Springs
$2137
28 km or 18 mi Fuquay-Varina
$2158
30 km or 19 mi Durham
$2146
38 km or 23 mi Chapel Hill
$2212
60 km or 37 mi Henderson
$2141
61 km or 38 mi Sanford
$2105
65 km or 41 mi Wilson
$2057
77 km or 48 mi Rocky Mount
$2043
77 km or 48 mi Goldsboro
$1697
78 km or 49 mi Burlington
$2122
87 km or 54 mi Fayetteville
$2054
106 km or 66 mi Asheboro
$2110
109 km or 68 mi Danville
$1791
110 km or 68 mi Greensboro
$2012
114 km or 71 mi Roanoke Rapids
$2099
114 km or 71 mi Kinston
$2060
117 km or 73 mi Greenville
$2026
123 km or 76 mi High Point
$2110
129 km or 80 mi Thomasville
$2094
133 km or 83 mi Kernersville
$2162
137 km or 85 mi Lumberton
$2076
141 km or 87 mi Rockingham
$2105
149 km or 92 mi Winston-Salem
$1882
163 km or 101 mi Jacksonville
$1972
165 km or 103 mi New Bern
$1917
166 km or 103 mi Salisbury
$2081
182 km or 113 mi Kannapolis
$2119
182 km or 113 mi Lynchburg
$1705
183 km or 114 mi Concord
$2146
189 km or 117 mi Havelock
$2022
190 km or 118 mi Wilmington
$2135
191 km or 119 mi Petersburg
$2299
196 km or 122 mi Monroe
$2194
196 km or 122 mi Mint Hill
$2288
198 km or 123 mi Roanoke
$1753