City comparison
Cambridge, MA is about 10 miles (20 km) from Quincy, MA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 12 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Cambridge, MA to Quincy, MA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Cambridge has a population of 117,962, vs 100,981 in Quincy — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Quincy covers about 17 sq mi vs 6.4 sq mi for Cambridge.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Cambridge | Quincy | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,628/mo | $1,901/mo | 38.2% higher in Cambridge |
| Median home value | $997,600 | $563,200 | 77.1% higher in Cambridge |
| Median household income | $121,539 | $90,668 | 34.0% higher in Cambridge |
| Groceries index | 100.1 | 99.8 | ≈ equal (Cambridge slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 147.4 | 144.3 | 2.1% higher in Cambridge |
| Transportation index | 102.2 | 102.9 | 0.7% higher in Quincy |
| Healthcare index | 106.4 | 103.7 | 2.6% higher in Cambridge |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Cambridge, you'd need $97,940 in Quincy to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Quincy, MA is about 2.1% cheaper overall than Cambridge, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% higher in Cambridge than in Quincy. If you earn $80,000 in Cambridge, you'd need about $78,352 in Quincy to keep the same standard of living.