City comparison
Boston, MA vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 4.8% higher than in Phoenix, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Phoenix, AZ would need about $104,800 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 $1,583 in Phoenix, AZ. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 25% in Phoenix, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,489 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.6% moving from Boston, MA to Phoenix, AZ ($120,548 → $111,338), while prices change by −4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.2% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boston, MA | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,428 in Phoenix | $104,791 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,489/yr.
84 Strong offer
Phoenix, AZ → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$2,489/yr.
32 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Boston → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $64,564 | −3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $78,117 | −3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $93,629 | −3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $111,338 | −3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $131,568 | −3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $59,180 | $62,015 (−36.8%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $131,750 | $138,062 (−16.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $80,820 | $84,692 (−15.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $100,830 | $105,661 (−0.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.