Boston vs Springfield
Boston, MA · Springfield, MA
Springfield is 40% cheaper than Boston overall.
Home Price
Boston: $680,000
Springfield: $275,000
Monthly Rent
Boston: $2,750/mo
Springfield: $1,150/mo
COL Index
Boston: 162
Springfield: 98
Median Income
Boston: $89,400
Springfield: $54,200
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Boston has the same purchasing power as $60,494 in Springfield — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Springfield cost 60% more (-$405,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in Springfield saves you $1,600/month — $19,200 per year. Median rent: $2,750/mo in Boston vs $1,150/mo in Springfield.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Boston owners pay roughly $7,208/year in property taxes vs $2,915/year in Springfield. Rates are comparable.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $89,400 in Boston and $54,200 in Springfield. Springfield residents earn 39% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 32 minutes in Boston vs 24 minutes in Springfield. Over a year, that's 4000 extra minutes (67 hours) of commuting in Boston.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Boston to Springfield, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Boston | Equivalent in Springfield | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $30,247 | -$19,753 |
| $75,000 | $45,370 | -$29,630 |
| $100,000 | $60,494 | -$39,506 |
| $150,000 | $90,741 | -$59,259 |
| $200,000 | $120,988 | -$79,012 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
Mortgage Calculator
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Rent vs Buy
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Cost of Living
Full cost of living comparison tool
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Affordability Calculator
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Property Tax Calculator
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Boston Calculators
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Related Comparisons
Boston vs Springfield: Common Questions
Is Boston or Springfield cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Springfield is cheaper overall. Boston has a COL index of 162 while Springfield scores 98 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Boston and Springfield?
The median home price in Boston is $680,000 vs $275,000 in Springfield — a difference of $405,000 (60%).
What salary do I need in Springfield to match my Boston income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Boston is equivalent to $60,494 in Springfield in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Springfield has a lower property tax rate (1.06% vs 1.06%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $2,915/year vs $7,208/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.