Boston vs San Francisco - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Boston San Francisco
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3680
$4110
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$8143
$8814
🏠 One person rent
$2555
$2859
🏘️ Family rent
$4103
$4660
🍽️ Food expenses
$749
$850
🚐 Transport expenses
$146
$179
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$6248
$7874
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
5 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
100
97
😀 Quality of life
91
95
🏙️ Population
676K
874K

The cost of living in Boston is 10% less expensive than in San Francisco. Cities ranked 27th and 7th ($3680 vs $4110) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 21st and 4th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.7 months in Boston compared to 1.9 months in San Francisco. Ranked 20th vs 4th best cities to live in the United States, and 105th vs 22nd 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 San Francisco

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

Boston San Francisco
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$24.8
$22.6
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$102
$109
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12
$15.2
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.02
$8.33
☕ Cappuccino
$5.38
$6.31
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.8
$3.33
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2870
$3199
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2200
$2521
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$5120
$4951
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3473
$4247
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$144
$132
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$224
$202
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$77.3
$69.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.34%
6.23%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$12808
$10798
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6220
$9079
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.39
$2.98
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$90.7
$97.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$17.9
$19.5
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.93
$1.42
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.14
$1.66
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.58
$5.16
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.32
$5.66
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.77
$7.3
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$14.7
$20.9
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.2
$15.9
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.8
$24.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.92
$6.55
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.89
$3.01
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.58
$5.69
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.74
$5.93
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.32
$3.51
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.19
$3.19
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.84
$1.98
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.94
$3.52
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$16.6
$18
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.98
$3.33
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13
$12.6
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.53
$14
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.96
$8.02
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4
$6.96
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.99
$2.93
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$89.6
$118
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$15.9
$18.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$192
$149
💇 Haircut, simple
$27.8
$31.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$73.4
$74.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$116
$110
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2859
$2190
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$26444
$21216

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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 San Francisco

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.9 mi Daly
$3264
14 km or 8.4 mi South San Francisco
$3252
14 km or 8.8 mi Alameda
$3559
15 km or 9.2 mi Oakland
$3273
16 km or 10 mi Albany
$3049
17 km or 10 mi Berkeley
$3204
17 km or 11 mi San Bruno
$3261
18 km or 11 mi El Cerrito
$3070
18 km or 11 mi Pacifica
$3245
19 km or 12 mi Richmond
$3102
20 km or 12 mi Millbrae
$3276
21 km or 13 mi San Pablo
$3086
22 km or 14 mi Burlingame
$3310
24 km or 15 mi San Leandro
$3043
24 km or 15 mi San Rafael
$4178
26 km or 16 mi San Mateo
$3797
28 km or 17 mi San Lorenzo
$2822
28 km or 18 mi Foster
$3588
29 km or 18 mi Lafayette
$2906
29 km or 18 mi Hercules
$2893
31 km or 19 mi Belmont
$3577
32 km or 20 mi Hayward
$2822
32 km or 20 mi Castro Valley
$2968
34 km or 21 mi San Carlos
$3357
34 km or 21 mi Walnut Creek
$2900
36 km or 23 mi Redwood
$3728
37 km or 23 mi Martinez
$2905
37 km or 23 mi Danville
$3873
37 km or 23 mi Pleasant Hill
$2796
38 km or 24 mi Union
$3075
39 km or 24 mi San Ramon
$2848
39 km or 24 mi Vallejo
$2393
39 km or 24 mi Novato
$3181
39 km or 24 mi Benicia
$2804
41 km or 25 mi Concord
$2748
42 km or 26 mi Menlo Park
$3357
42 km or 26 mi East Palo Alto
$3356
43 km or 27 mi Newark
$3234
45 km or 28 mi Dublin
$3088
46 km or 28 mi Palo Alto
$3808