City comparison
Boston, MA vs Los Angeles, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 4.9% higher than in Boston, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Boston, MA would need about $104,900 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $2,085 in Los Angeles, CA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 34% in Los Angeles, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Boston, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.9% moving from Boston, MA to Los Angeles, CA ($120,548 → $124,085), while prices change by +4.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.9% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boston, MA | Los Angeles, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 113.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,895 in Los Angeles | $95,333 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $2,085/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 34% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $55,850 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 170.4 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 106.6 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 158.6 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 104.4 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 113.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.7%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
41 Weak offer
Los Angeles, CA → Boston, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.9%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Los Angeles, CA is in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Los Angeles, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Los Angeles, CA | Real change, Boston → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $71,957 | −1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $87,061 | −1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $104,349 | −1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $124,085 | −1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $146,632 | −1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Los Angeles, CA | Los Angeles pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $101,860 | $97,106 (−1.0%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $160,920 | $153,410 (−7.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $94,360 | $89,956 (−10.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $135,560 | $129,234 (+21.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.