City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Arlington | Boston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,902/mo | $1,981/mo | 4.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $839,200 | $684,900 | 22.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $136,312 | $89,212 | 52.8% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 100.0 | 101.2 | 1.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 133.9 | 144.1 | 7.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 101.3 | 99.0 | 2.3% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 103.9 | 112.8 | 7.9% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Arlington, you'd need $101,856 in Boston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Arlington, MA is about 1.8% cheaper overall than Boston, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Arlington, you'd need about $81,485 in Boston to keep the same standard of living.