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 | Sunnyvale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,981/mo | $2,990/mo | 33.7% lower in A |
| Median home value | $684,900 | $1,680,700 | 59.2% lower in A |
| Median household income | $89,212 | $174,506 | 48.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.8 | 104.1 | 0.7% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 133.1 | 125.1 | 6.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 88.4 | 104.6 | 15.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 134.4 | 104.1 | 29.1% 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 $150,931 in Sunnyvale to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Boston, MA is about 33.7% cheaper overall than Sunnyvale, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 34% lower in Boston than in Sunnyvale. If you earn $80,000 in Boston, you'd need about $120,745 in Sunnyvale to keep the same standard of living.