Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Cambridge's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
Index: 100 = US city average. Values >100 mean more expensive, <100 means cheaper.
How far does your salary go in Cambridge?
Your $100,000 in Cambridge has the same purchasing power as $48,249 in the average US city. You'd need $51,751 more here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Cambridge, Massachusetts has a cost-of-living index of 207, which is 107% above the national average. The typical renter pays $2,628 per month. The median household earns $121,539 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $145,082 per year in Cambridge. Single renters typically want at least three times the $31,536 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
Cambridge is more expensive than most US cities. Overall prices are 107% above the national average.