City comparison
Atlantic City, NJ vs Boston, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 9.5% higher than in Atlantic City, NJ. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlantic City, NJ would need about $109,500 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 $1,537 in Atlantic City, NJ. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 25% in Atlantic City, NJ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $600 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Atlantic City, NJ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.8% moving from Atlantic City, NJ to Boston, MA ($117,284 → $120,548), while prices change by +9.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Atlantic City, NJ: price level 98.9 (about average)
- 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
| Atlantic City, NJ | Boston, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.9 | 108.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,518 in Boston | $91,309 in Atlantic City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,537/mo | $2,476/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,000 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,180 (NJ) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,520 | $66,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area and Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlantic City | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 98.7 | 148.4 |
| Goods | 99.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 109.2 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 97.9 | 103.6 |
| Overall | 98.9 | 108.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlantic City, NJ → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$600/yr.
19 Weak offer
Boston, MA → Atlantic City, NJ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$600/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlantic City, NJ is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Boston, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlantic City, NJ to Boston, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlantic City, NJ | Boston, MA | Real change, Atlantic City → Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $69,905 | −6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $84,579 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $101,375 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $120,548 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $142,452 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlantic City, NJ | Boston, MA | Boston pay in Atlantic City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,480 | $98,060 | $89,538 (+11.3%) |
| Software Developers | $126,670 | $166,090 | $151,656 (+19.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,040 | $100,150 | $91,446 (+10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,320 | $106,180 | $96,952 (−2.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.