Boston vs Washington - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Boston Washington
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3638
$3306
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$8082
$7823
🏠 One person rent
$2543
$2128
🏘️ Family rent
$4126
$3806
🍽️ Food expenses
$722
$764
🚐 Transport expenses
$145
$168
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$6556
$6170
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
5 km
5 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
92
93
🏙️ Population
676K
690K

The cost of living in Boston is 10% more expensive than in Washington. Cities ranked 30th and 92nd ($3638 vs $3306) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 21st and 62nd in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.8 months in Boston compared to 1.9 months in Washington. Ranked 16th vs 7th best cities to live in the United States, and 94th vs 52nd 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 Washington

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

Boston Washington
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21.5
$21.9
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$103
$102
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.9
$12.3
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.04
$8.25
 Cappuccino
$5.31
$6.13
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.85
$3.44
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2878
$2369
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2181
$1820
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$5280
$4324
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3456
$3337
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$147
$130
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$229
$203
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$76.1
$67.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.34%
6.47%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$11142
$7337
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6207
$4181
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.41
$2.76
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$90.6
$115
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$17.8
$18.5
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.87
$0.86
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.19
$1.15
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.63
$3.84
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.64
$5.46
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.6
$4.73
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.1
$18.1
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.7
$15.6
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$19.4
$19.7
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.14
$5.59
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.15
$1.98
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.48
$5.14
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.77
$5.97
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.11
$2.83
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.73
$3.76
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.6
$1.62
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.78
$3.57
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$17.2
$17.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.07
$4.53
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13.1
$13.5
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.48
$9.25
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.06
$4.8
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4
$4.36
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.99
$2.54
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$89.2
$113
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$15.9
$16.8
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$190
$198
💇 Haircut, simple
$28.2
$35.3
👖 Brand Jeans
$67.6
$74.6
👟 Brand Sneakers
$115
$111
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$2835
$2250
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$26679
$24788

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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
$3830
4.4 km or 2.7 mi Chelsea
$3097
4.5 km or 2.8 mi Somerville
$3650
5.6 km or 3.5 mi Everett
$2960
5.7 km or 3.5 mi Brookline
$3140
6.9 km or 4.3 mi Revere
$2981
7.4 km or 4.6 mi Malden
$3000
7.6 km or 4.7 mi Medford
$2691
10 km or 6.2 mi Belmont
$3017
10 km or 6.2 mi Arlington
$2944
10 km or 6.2 mi Watertown
$2966
11 km or 6.9 mi Melrose
$2870
12 km or 7.5 mi Milton
$3006
12 km or 7.5 mi Winchester
$2845
12 km or 7.7 mi Newton
$2862
13 km or 7.8 mi Saugus
$2839
13 km or 8.1 mi Quincy
$3186
14 km or 8.6 mi Stoneham
$2823
14 km or 8.9 mi Waltham
$2870
15 km or 9.4 mi Lynn
$2762
15 km or 9.5 mi Woburn
$2714
16 km or 9.6 mi Dedham
$2921
16 km or 10 mi Needham
$2837
16 km or 10 mi Lexington
$2771
16 km or 10 mi Wakefield
$2808
18 km or 11 mi Braintree
$2980
18 km or 11 mi Weymouth
$2986
19 km or 12 mi Reading
$2786
19 km or 12 mi Hingham
$2939
20 km or 12 mi Burlington
$2405
20 km or 13 mi Wellesley
$2803
21 km or 13 mi Norwood
$2866
22 km or 14 mi Peabody
$2859
22 km or 14 mi Randolph
$2894
22 km or 14 mi Salem
$3006
23 km or 14 mi Wilmington
$2629
23 km or 14 mi Marblehead
$2854
23 km or 14 mi Canton
$2871
25 km or 16 mi Natick
$2867
26 km or 16 mi Stoughton
$2852

Cities near Washington

Distance City Cost of living
2.5 km or 1.5 mi Georgetown
$3030
9.5 km or 5.9 mi Bailey's Crossroads
$2581
10 km or 6.3 mi Alexandria
$2877
11 km or 6.8 mi Bethesda
$2763
12 km or 7.5 mi Silver Spring
$2252
15 km or 9.2 mi College Park
$2777
17 km or 11 mi Springfield
$2379
17 km or 11 mi Greenbelt
$2650
23 km or 14 mi Rockville
$2499
24 km or 15 mi Fairfax
$2818
26 km or 16 mi Bowie
$2544
27 km or 17 mi Laurel
$2344
28 km or 17 mi Reston
$2721
30 km or 19 mi Waldorf
$2522
31 km or 19 mi Gaithersburg
$2526
32 km or 20 mi Herndon
$2800
34 km or 21 mi Woodbridge
$2681
34 km or 21 mi Marumsco
$2588
36 km or 22 mi Centreville
$3292
37 km or 23 mi Germantown
$2664
38 km or 23 mi Columbia
$2830
41 km or 26 mi Manassas
$2453
42 km or 26 mi Ashburn
$2736
47 km or 29 mi Annapolis
$2951
49 km or 31 mi Catonsville
$2443
51 km or 32 mi Leesburg
$2304
57 km or 35 mi Eldersburg
$2521
57 km or 35 mi Baltimore
$2234
61 km or 38 mi Owings Mills
$2586
68 km or 42 mi Frederick
$2333
76 km or 47 mi Fredericksburg
$2372
83 km or 52 mi Charles Town
$1944
87 km or 54 mi Edgewood
$2985
92 km or 57 mi Bel Air South
$2755
93 km or 58 mi Bel Air North
$2667
102 km or 63 mi Hanover
$2257
102 km or 63 mi Hagerstown
$2024
103 km or 64 mi Winchester
$2399
106 km or 66 mi Waynesboro
$2000
122 km or 76 mi York
$2003