Cost of Living: Salem, MA vs New York, NY

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,224/mo in Salem, MA versus $4,116/mo in New York, NY. In the model, rent is about 26.23% of gross in Salem, MA versus 25.92% in New York, NY, so New York, NY tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Salem, MA
$4,224/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in New York, NY
$4,116/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Salem, MA
26.23%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in New York, NY
25.92%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Salem, MA and New York, NY.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Salem, MA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · New York, NY: 168.2 (U.S. = 100)

Salem, MA has a lower cost-of-living index than New York, NY, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Salem, MA: $1,710/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · New York, NY: $1,690/mo

Median rent in Salem, MA is $20/mo higher than in New York, NY.

Median Home Price

Salem, MA: $497,400 · New York, NY: $751,700

Median home price in New York, NY is $254,300 higher than in Salem, MA.

Median Household Income

Salem, MA: $85,137 · New York, NY: $79,713

Salem, MA has a higher median household income than New York, NY by $5,424.

Salem, MA overview · New York, NY overview · Popular comparisons