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 | Waltham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,981/mo | $2,141/mo | 7.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $684,900 | $679,000 | 0.9% higher in A |
| Median household income | $89,212 | $113,443 | 21.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 101.2 | 100.0 | 1.1% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 144.1 | 133.9 | 7.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 99.0 | 101.3 | 2.2% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 112.8 | 103.9 | 8.6% 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 $100,063 in Waltham to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Boston and Waltham have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 2% lower in Boston than in Waltham. If you earn $80,000 in Boston, you'd need about $80,050 in Waltham to keep the same standard of living.