City comparison
Boston, MA vs Modesto, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 4.0% higher than in Modesto, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Modesto, CA would need about $104,000 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 $1,356 in Modesto, CA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 22% in Modesto, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $290 a year higher in Modesto, CA than in Boston, MA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.4% moving from Boston, MA to Modesto, CA ($120,548 → $133,060), while prices change by −3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +14.8% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- Modesto, CA: price level 104.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boston, MA | Modesto, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 104.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,159 in Modesto | $103,994 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,356/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% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $50,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Modesto, CA MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Modesto, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Modesto |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 108.5 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 152.3 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 104.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Modesto, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$290/yr.
81 Strong offer
Modesto, CA → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax −$290/yr.
34 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Modesto, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Modesto, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Modesto, CA | Real change, Boston → Modesto |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $77,161 | +14.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $93,358 | +14.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $111,896 | +14.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $133,060 | +14.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $157,236 | +14.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Modesto, CA | Modesto pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $101,640 | $105,699 (+7.8%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $119,770 | $124,554 (−25.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $83,560 | $86,897 (−13.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $132,590 | $137,886 (+29.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.