City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Boston, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 2.7% higher than in Anchorage, AK. Someone earning $100,000 in Anchorage, AK would need about $102,700 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Anchorage, AK.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.2% moving from Anchorage, AK to Boston, MA ($120,348 → $120,548), while prices change by +2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.5% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Boston, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 108.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,700 in Boston | $97,371 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $2,476/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $66,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 148.4 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 103.6 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 108.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
38 Weak offer
Boston, MA → Anchorage, AK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Boston, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Boston, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Boston, MA | Real change, Anchorage → Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $69,905 | −2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $84,579 | −2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $101,375 | −2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $120,548 | −2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $142,452 | −2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Boston, MA | Boston pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $98,060 | $95,482 (+20.5%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $166,090 | $161,724 (+55.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $100,150 | $97,517 (+18.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $106,180 | $103,389 (−10.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.