City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Boston, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 3.6% higher than in Baltimore, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Baltimore, MD would need about $103,600 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 $1,511 in Baltimore, MD. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 24% in Baltimore, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $394 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.0% moving from Baltimore, MD to Boston, MA ($121,785 → $120,548), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.5% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (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
| Baltimore, MD | Boston, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 108.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,617 in Boston | $96,510 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $2,476/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $66,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 148.4 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 103.6 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 108.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$394/yr.
35 Weak offer
Boston, MA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$394/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Boston, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Boston, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Boston, MA | Real change, Baltimore → Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $69,905 | −4.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $84,579 | −4.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $101,375 | −4.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $120,548 | −4.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $142,452 | −4.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Boston, MA | Boston pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $98,060 | $94,637 (+23.9%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $166,090 | $160,293 (+15.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $100,150 | $96,654 (+13.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $106,180 | $102,474 (+2.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.