Moving from Columbus to Boston
Moving from Columbus to Boston
Boston costs you $748 a month versus Columbus. −$8,976 a year.
Who already made this move
In 2022-2023, 214 households moved Columbus → Boston (about 272 people, average AGI $64,547). 218 households went the other way.
Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.
| Per month | Columbus | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home | $5,695 | $6,644 |
| Rent | $1,174 | $2,619 |
| All other costs | $1,875 | $2,127 |
| Left over | $2,646 | $1,898 |
Full line-by-line comparison →
What the move itself costs
About 766 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $2,650–$4,950
- Container or pod
- $1,850–$3,450
- Rent a truck
- $950–$1,750
Dig into Boston
Paycheck
Take-home pay after tax and rent, and what's left at the end of the month.
Who moved
Which metros people actually left and arrived from, according to IRS tax returns.
Rent vs buy
Asking rent, the median home, property tax, and months to a down payment.
Monthly costs
Groceries, getting around, utilities, healthcare and childcare at your household size.
Daily life
Homicide and firearm death rates, heat, cars and commute.
Kids
Public-school enrollment, pupil–teacher ratio, bedrooms and childcare.
Getting there
What the move itself costs from where you live now, and how to find a mover you can trust.
Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Boston than Columbus?
A one-bedroom is about $1,174 in Columbus versus $2,619 in Boston. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $748 a month lower in Boston. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Boston have state income tax?
Boston is in Massachusetts, which taxes wage income.
Did people actually move from Columbus to Boston?
When IRS county-to-county data covers this pair, the page lists how many households made the Columbus → Boston move and their average AGI. Leftover after tax and rent is shown for the same household on both sides.