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 | Boston | Lowell | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,981/mo | $1,466/mo | 35.1% higher in A |
| Median home value | $684,900 | $362,800 | 88.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $89,212 | $73,008 | 22.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.8 | 101.0 | 3.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 133.1 | 99.3 | 34.1% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 88.4 | 95.9 | 7.9% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 134.4 | 104.7 | 28.4% higher 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 Boston, you'd need $74,006 in Lowell to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lowell, MA is about 26% cheaper overall than Boston, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 26% lower in Lowell than in Boston. If you earn $80,000 in Boston, you'd need about $59,205 in Lowell to keep the same standard of living.