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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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San Francisco skyline
Daniel L. Lu (user:dllu) Camera location 37° 49′ 39.52″ N, 122° 29′ 56.17″ W View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMap 37.827644; -122.498935. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
Boston skyline
King of Hearts. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License

San Francisco vs Boston

$396/mo less in Boston

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
Less leftMore left

San FranciscoBostonAbout 2,685 miles apart, a flight.

  • Boston costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • Real winters

Same paycheck, two cities. $1,958/mo in Boston. $2,354/mo in San Francisco. −$4,752 a year.

San Francisco

$2,354

left each month

Boston

$1,958

−$396 vs San Francisco

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Boston wins 2 of 4San Francisco 2 · ties 0
$7,403Take-home · San Francisco$6,634
$2,635Rent · Boston$2,549
$2,414Other bills · Boston$2,127
$2,354Left over · San Francisco$1,958

Next

In 2022-2023, 1,322 households moved San Francisco → Boston (avg AGI $172,002). 1,656 went the other way. The whole move →

−$396 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthSan FranciscoBoston
Less leftMore left
Boston · this breakdownSan Francisco · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between San Francisco, CA and Boston, MA
Per monthSan FranciscoBostonDifference
Gross pay$10,458$9,054−$1,405
Income and payroll tax$3,056$2,420−$636
Take-home pay$7,403$6,634−$769
Rent$2,635$2,549−$86
Getting around$558$445−$113
Groceries$512$464−$48
Healthcare$576$522−$54
Utilities$320$290−$30
Everything else$448$406−$42
Left over$2,354$1,958−$396

Salary to match San Francisco

$116,000

Gross pay in Boston that leaves the same amount as $125,500 in San Francisco.

Tax difference

+$2,487

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 29.2% in San Francisco, 26.7% in Boston.

More about Boston

San Francisco, CA in full

Dense, walkable, cold in July, and priced for two incomes.

Boston, MA in full

Great pay in medicine and research, brutal winters, tight housing stock.

The other way

Start in Boston.

Boston → San Francisco →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Boston than San Francisco?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Boston leaves about $396 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $2,635 in San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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.