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 | Bethesda | Boston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,312/mo | $1,981/mo | 16.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,088,000 | $684,900 | 58.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $185,546 | $89,212 | 108.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 103.0 | 101.2 | 1.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 103.1 | 144.1 | 28.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 101.8 | 99.0 | 2.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.1 | 112.8 | 11.3% 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 Bethesda, you'd need $99,976 in Boston to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bethesda and Boston have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in Boston than in Bethesda. If you earn $80,000 in Bethesda, you'd need about $79,981 in Boston to keep the same standard of living.