Last updated 2026-06-12 ยท MovePlan Editorial Team
Expensive, with high housing costs and a famously hectic September 1 moving day.
Cost of living index (US avg = 100): 150
Median 2BR rent: $3,500/mo
Housing: 178 vs 100
Groceries: 110 vs 100
Utilities: 110 vs 100
Transportation: 102 vs 100
Healthcare: 108 vs 100
Boston pairs walkable historic neighborhoods and top universities with high housing costs and brutal winters. Strong transit helps, but housing dominates the budget.