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 | Lowell | New York | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,466/mo | $1,714/mo | 14.5% lower in A |
| Median home value | $362,800 | $732,100 | 50.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $73,008 | $76,607 | 4.7% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 96.5 | 103.2 | 6.5% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 93.4 | 147.4 | 36.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 87.4 | 100.7 | 13.2% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 92.3 | 99.9 | 7.6% 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 Lowell, you'd need $117,576 in New York to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lowell, MA is about 14.9% cheaper overall than New York, NY, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 14% lower in Lowell than in New York. If you earn $80,000 in Lowell, you'd need about $94,061 in New York to keep the same standard of living.