Boston vs Seattle - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Boston Seattle
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3467
$2908
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$7682
$7212
🏠 One person rent
$2394
$1829
🏘️ Family rent
$3923
$3413
🍽️ Food expenses
$726
$707
🚐 Transport expenses
$146
$161
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5787
$6392
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
5 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
100
80
😀 Quality of life
92
92
🏙️ Population
676K
737K

The cost of living in Boston is 19% more expensive than in Seattle. Cities ranked 32nd and 206th ($3467 vs $2908) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 28th and 168th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.7 months in Boston compared to 2.2 months in Seattle. Ranked 15th vs 16th best cities to live in the United States, and 89th vs 102nd 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 Seattle infographic

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Prices in Boston vs Seattle

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

Boston Seattle
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21.3
$19.3
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$93.5
$89.2
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$13.1
$12.8
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.4
$8.02
☕ Cappuccino
$5.78
$5.61
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.16
$3.13
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2739
$1947
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2042
$1538
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4881
$3856
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3321
$2943
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$144
$142
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$222
$220
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$68.4
$67.4
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.53%
6.42%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$11569
$7855
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6730
$5704
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.4
$2.77
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$90.4
$97.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$18
$18
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.95
$1.25
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.21
$1.17
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.86
$3.71
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.86
$4.4
🥚 Eggs, x12
$4.16
$4.47
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$17.4
$17.1
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.3
$13.6
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$20.7
$20.5
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.07
$4.95
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.14
$1.82
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.77
$4.93
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.47
$5.33
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.73
$2.81
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.78
$3.32
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.76
$1.63
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.74
$3.04
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.1
$15.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.72
$2.79
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13.4
$12.1
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$5.76
$10.5
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.03
$5.98
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.03
$6.97
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2
$2.46
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$81
$63.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$16.1
$16.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$164
$183
💇 Haircut, simple
$21.7
$25.7
👖 Brand Jeans
$60.7
$67.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$100
$94.1
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2437
$2227
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$25118
$28179

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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
$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 Seattle

Distance City Cost of living
9.1 km or 5.7 mi Mercer Island
$2759
11 km or 6.5 mi Bellevue
$3179
14 km or 8.5 mi Kirkland
$2901
15 km or 9.2 mi Tukwila
$2542
15 km or 9.5 mi Burien
$2512
16 km or 10 mi Bainbridge Island
$2904
17 km or 10 mi Shoreline
$3091
17 km or 10 mi Renton
$2301
17 km or 11 mi Redmond
$3229
17 km or 11 mi Kenmore
$2784
19 km or 12 mi SeaTac
$2489
21 km or 13 mi Bothell
$2866
22 km or 14 mi Sammamish
$2743
22 km or 14 mi Edmonds
$2821
23 km or 14 mi Issaquah
$2655
24 km or 15 mi Des Moines
$2512
24 km or 15 mi Lynnwood
$2769
24 km or 15 mi Bremerton
$2491
26 km or 16 mi Kent
$2819
30 km or 19 mi Mill Creek
$2692
33 km or 20 mi Federal Way
$2449
34 km or 21 mi Maple Valley
$2515
35 km or 21 mi Mukilteo
$2619
35 km or 22 mi Auburn
$2172
41 km or 25 mi Everett
$2569
42 km or 26 mi Tacoma
$2348
46 km or 28 mi University Place
$2655
48 km or 30 mi Puyallup
$2774
50 km or 31 mi Lake Stevens
$2581
51 km or 32 mi Lakewood
$2417
52 km or 33 mi Marysville
$2576
57 km or 35 mi Spanaway
$2307
74 km or 46 mi Lacey
$2534
76 km or 47 mi Olympia
$2435
78 km or 48 mi Sequim
$2609
80 km or 50 mi Oak Harbor
$2612
90 km or 56 mi Mount Vernon
$2314
100 km or 62 mi Port Angeles
$2546
109 km or 68 mi Centralia
$2577
119 km or 74 mi Victoria
$2263