

Bangor vs Boston
$126/mo more in Boston
BangorBostonAbout 232 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Boston leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- Real winters
Same paycheck, two cities. $1,966/mo in Boston. $1,840/mo in Bangor. +$1,512 a year.
Bangor
$1,840
left each month
Boston
$1,966
+$126 vs Bangor
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 104 households moved Bangor → Boston (avg AGI $84,077). 77 went the other way. The whole move →
+$126 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Bangor | Boston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,792 | $9,066 | +$2,274 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,671 | $2,424 | +$753 |
| Take-home pay | $5,121 | $6,642 | +$1,521 |
| Rent | $1,215 | $2,549 | +$1,334 |
| Getting around | $578 | $445 | −$133 |
| Groceries | $410 | $464 | +$54 |
| Healthcare | $462 | $522 | +$60 |
| Utilities | $257 | $290 | +$33 |
| Everything else | $359 | $406 | +$47 |
| Left over | $1,840 | $1,966 | +$126 |
Salary to match Bangor
$106,500
Gross pay in Boston that leaves the same amount as $81,500 in Bangor.
Tax difference
−$945
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.6% in Bangor, 26.7% in Boston.
More about Boston
Bangor, ME in full
State income tax topping out at 7.15%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,447 and 174 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.
Boston, MA in full
Great pay in medicine and research, brutal winters, tight housing stock.
The other way
Start in Boston.
Boston → Bangor →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Boston than Bangor?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Boston leaves about $126 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,215 in Bangor and $2,549 in Boston.
Does Boston have state income tax?
Boston is in Massachusetts, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Bangor to Boston?
The paycheck is taxed in Massachusetts. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Bangor and Boston changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.