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 | New York | Waltham | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,714/mo | $2,141/mo | 19.9% lower in A |
| Median home value | $732,100 | $679,000 | 7.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $76,607 | $113,443 | 32.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 108.1 | 100.0 | 8.1% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 133.1 | 133.9 | 0.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 104.3 | 101.3 | 3.0% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 103.9 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in New York, you'd need $101,823 in Waltham to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
New York, NY is about 1.8% cheaper overall than Waltham, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in New York than in Waltham. If you earn $80,000 in New York, you'd need about $81,458 in Waltham to keep the same standard of living.