Cost of Living: Irvine, CA vs Boston, MA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Irvine, CA versus $4,224/mo in Boston, MA. In the model, rent is about 42.15% of gross in Irvine, CA versus 30.5% in Boston, MA, so Boston, MA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Irvine, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Boston, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Irvine, CA
42.15%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Boston, MA
30.5%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Irvine, CA and Boston, MA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Boston, MA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Boston, MA
  • Lower home prices: Boston, MA
  • Higher median household income: Irvine, CA

Cost of Living Index

Irvine, CA: 158.4 (U.S. = 100) · Boston, MA: 156.3 (U.S. = 100)

Boston, MA has a lower cost-of-living index than Irvine, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Irvine, CA: $2,749/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Boston, MA: $1,989/mo

Median rent in Irvine, CA is $760/mo higher than in Boston, MA.

Median Home Price

Irvine, CA: $1,115,400 · Boston, MA: $710,400

Median home price in Irvine, CA is $405,000 higher than in Boston, MA.

Median Household Income

Irvine, CA: $129,647 · Boston, MA: $94,755

Irvine, CA has a higher median household income than Boston, MA by $34,892.

Irvine, CA overview · Boston, MA overview · Popular comparisons