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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Boston skyline
King of Hearts. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License
Raleigh skyline
Abhiram Juvvadi. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License

Boston vs Raleigh

$786/mo more in Raleigh

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

BostonRaleighAbout 614 miles apart, a flight.

  • Raleigh leaves you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,736/mo in Raleigh. $1,950/mo in Boston. +$9,432 a year.

Boston

$1,950

left each month

Raleigh

$2,736

+$786 vs Boston

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Raleigh wins 3 of 4Boston 1 · ties 0
$6,626Take-home · Boston$5,948
$2,549Rent · Raleigh$1,252
$2,127Other bills · Raleigh$1,960
$1,950Left over · Raleigh$2,736

Next

In 2022-2023, 623 households moved Boston → Raleigh (avg AGI $135,262). 303 went the other way. The whole move →

+$786 / 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 monthBostonRaleigh
Less leftMore left
Raleigh · this breakdownBoston · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Boston, MA and Raleigh, NC
Per monthBostonRaleighDifference
Gross pay$9,042$7,873−$1,169
Income and payroll tax$2,416$1,925−$491
Take-home pay$6,626$5,948−$678
Rent$2,549$1,252−$1,297
Getting around$445$568+$123
Groceries$464$384−$80
Healthcare$522$432−$90
Utilities$290$240−$50
Everything else$406$336−$70
Left over$1,950$2,736+$786

Salary to match Boston

$80,000

Gross pay in Raleigh that leaves the same amount as $108,500 in Boston.

Tax difference

+$1,732

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 26.7% in Boston, 24.4% in Raleigh.

More about Raleigh

Boston, MA in full

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

Raleigh, NC in full

Research Triangle salaries, low taxes, and not much to do downtown.

The other way

Start in Raleigh.

Raleigh → Boston →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Raleigh than Boston?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Raleigh leaves about $786 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $2,549 in Boston and $1,252 in Raleigh.

Does Raleigh have state income tax?

Raleigh is in North Carolina, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Boston to Raleigh?

The paycheck is taxed in North Carolina. 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 Boston and Raleigh 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.