Overall
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton
- 108.3
Diff -0.6 RPP
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria vs Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Boston-Cambridge-Newton is 0.6% less expensive than Washington-Arlington-Alexandria.
0.6% less expensive
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH is 0.6% less expensive than Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 108.3 vs 108.9). A $100,000 salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria buys about the same as $99,432 in Boston-Cambridge-Newton; the largest component gap is services.
- Overall RPP 108.9 (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria) vs 108.3 (Boston-Cambridge-Newton)
- $100k in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria ≈ $99,432 purchasing power in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
- Services drives the gap (+42.1 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair DC:MA 108.9→108.3
PHOTO-FINISH · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-ABOVE · PP-PAR
- PHOTO-FINISH Photo finish
- CROSS-STATE DC × MA
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-ABOVE Both above 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
108.9
Cost Index
Boston-Cambridge-Newton
108.3
Cost Index
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH are a photo finish on overall price level, only 0.6 RPP points apart. A salary conversion is therefore a fine adjustment, not evidence of a fundamentally different cost regime.
Services creates the largest separation: Boston-Cambridge-Newton is 42.1 points higher. But services move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
Both metros exceed the U.S. benchmark of 100. The choice is between two national premiums, so local wages need to clear the higher baseline in either market.
For a service-heavy household, test childcare, health, and other locally supplied costs before relying on rent alone. The BEA ratio converts $100,000 in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria to $99,432 in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, but it is not a personal spending weight.
Category Breakdown
Goods
Diff -5.2 RPP
Services
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton
- 148.8
Diff +42.1 RPP
Rents
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton
- 148.4
Diff -2.7 RPP
| Category | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | Boston-Cambridge-Newton | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 108.9 | 108.3 | -0.6 |
| Goods | 104.8 | 99.7 | -5.2 |
| Services | 106.7 | 148.8 | +42.1 |
| Rents | 151.1 | 148.4 | -2.7 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 108.9
Boston-Cambridge-Newton 108.3
Goods
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 104.8
Boston-Cambridge-Newton 99.7
Services
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 106.7
Boston-Cambridge-Newton 148.8
Rents
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria 151.1
Boston-Cambridge-Newton 148.4
Vertical line = national average (100)
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria would need to be in Boston-Cambridge-Newton for the same purchasing power:
| In Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | In Boston-Cambridge-Newton | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $49,716 | $-284 |
| $75,000 | $74,574 | $-426 |
| $100,000 | $99,432 | $-568 |
| $150,000 | $149,149 | $-851 |
$ in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria = in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (108.9 → 108.3), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Boston-Cambridge-Newton more expensive than Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton is 0.6% less expensive than Washington-Arlington-Alexandria. The overall cost index is 108.3 vs 108.9 (national average = 100).
What salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton equals $100K in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
A $100,000 salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria has the same purchasing power as $99,432 in Boston-Cambridge-Newton. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Washington-Arlington-Alexandria and Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Rents in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria are indexed at 151.1 while Boston-Cambridge-Newton is at 148.4 (national average = 100). Washington-Arlington-Alexandria has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.