Cost of Living: Melrose, MA vs Boston, MA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Melrose, MA versus $4,224/mo in Boston, MA. In the model, rent is about 28.17% of gross in Melrose, MA versus 30.5% in Boston, MA, so Melrose, MA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Melrose, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Boston, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Melrose, MA
28.17%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Boston, MA
30.5%
COLI tier: very high-cost

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Melrose, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Boston, MA: 156.3 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Melrose, MA: $1,837/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Boston, MA: $1,989/mo

Median rent in Boston, MA is $152/mo higher than in Melrose, MA.

Median Home Price

Melrose, MA: $796,100 · Boston, MA: $710,400

Median home price in Melrose, MA is $85,700 higher than in Boston, MA.

Median Household Income

Melrose, MA: $126,854 · Boston, MA: $94,755

Melrose, MA has a higher median household income than Boston, MA by $32,099.

Melrose, MA overview · Boston, MA overview · Popular comparisons