CITY COMPARISON
Boston vs Raleigh Cost of Living: Which Is Cheaper in 2026?
Data updated May 2026. Rent from Zillow ZORI, taxes from the Tax Foundation, cost-of-living index from BEA.
Boston to the Raleigh-Durham area is a popular move for families and for tech and research workers. The Research Triangle has real industry, and the cost gap with Boston is wide.
Boston carries a high cost of living and steep rent. Raleigh's overall cost sits near the national average, rent is far lower, and North Carolina's income tax is a flat rate below Massachusetts's. Raleigh also posts some of the strongest school ratings of any metro we track.
Is Boston or Raleigh cheaper to live in?
At a $100,000 salary, moving from Boston to Raleigh frees up roughly $23,800 a year in disposable income. At $150,000 the gap widens to about $24,000 a year in Raleigh's favor.
Raleigh wins clearly. Lower income tax, much lower rent, a cost of living near the national average, and top-tier schools. Boston only holds an edge for careers anchored to its universities, hospitals, or biotech cluster.
DISPOSABLE INCOME: MOVING BOSTON → RALEIGH
AT A $100,000 SALARY
in Raleigh's favor
AT A $150,000 SALARY
in Raleigh's favor
Assumes the same gross salary in both cities (the remote-work case) and a single filer renting at the local median. Positive means Raleigh leaves more money after tax, housing, and everyday costs.
Full cost breakdown: Boston vs Raleigh
Here is where every dollar goes in each city, at two salary levels. Taxes, housing, and everyday costs are all in.
AT A $100,000 SALARY
| Line item | Boston | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $100,000 | $100,000 |
| Federal income tax | -$15,000 | -$15,000 |
| State income tax (5%) Raleigh: (4.5%) | -$5,000 | -$4,500 |
| FICA (Social Security + Medicare) | -$7,650 | -$7,650 |
| Housing (median rent) ($2,480/mo) Raleigh: ($1,310/mo) | -$29,760 | -$15,720 |
| Other living costs (COL index 162) Raleigh: (COL index 102) | -$39,300 | -$30,300 |
| Sales tax on spending (6.25%) Raleigh: (7%) | -$1,719 | -$1,485 |
| Disposable income / year | $1,571 | $25,345 |
AT A $150,000 SALARY
| Line item | Boston | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $150,000 | $150,000 |
| Federal income tax | -$27,000 | -$27,000 |
| State income tax (5%) Raleigh: (4.5%) | -$7,500 | -$6,750 |
| FICA (Social Security + Medicare) | -$11,475 | -$11,475 |
| Housing (median rent) ($2,480/mo) Raleigh: ($1,310/mo) | -$29,760 | -$15,720 |
| Other living costs (COL index 162) Raleigh: (COL index 102) | -$39,300 | -$30,300 |
| Sales tax on spending (6.25%) Raleigh: (7%) | -$1,719 | -$1,485 |
| Disposable income / year | $33,246 | $57,270 |
Boston vs Raleigh: taxes, rent, and schools at a glance
| Metric | Boston | Raleigh |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax | 5% | 4.5% |
| Median 1-bedroom rent | $2,480/mo | $1,310/mo |
| Combined sales tax | 6.25% | 7% |
| Cost-of-living index (US avg = 100) | 162 | 102 |
| School composite rating (1-10) | 7/10 | 8/10 |
Who should pick Boston?
Stay in Boston if you are in academia, medicine, or biotech, where the city's institutions are the career. The cost is high, but for those fields the concentration of opportunity is hard to replace.
Who should pick Raleigh?
Choose Raleigh if you want a strong job market without Boston prices, and especially if you have kids. The school ratings are among the best we track, rent is far cheaper, and the tax bill is lighter.
How we calculated this
Disposable income is gross salary minus federal income tax, state income tax, FICA, housing, everyday non-housing costs, and sales tax on discretionary spending. Federal tax uses 2026 effective rates after the standard deduction for a single filer. State income tax is a single-bracket approximation for mid-six-figure earners. Housing is the median 1-bedroom rent. Non-housing costs scale with the BEA cost-of-living index. Sales tax is applied to roughly 70 percent of discretionary spending, since groceries and many services are reduced-rate or exempt in most states.
The numbers on this page assume the same gross salary in both cities. That is the remote-work scenario, and it is the cleanest way to isolate the cost-of-living difference. If a new job would rebase your salary by city, plug both real offers into the tool below.
Run your own Boston vs Raleigh numbers
The interactive Move-To-City tool lets you set different salaries for each city, enter your actual rent, switch filing status, and see the full FIRE-timeline impact of the move.
Open the Move-To-City tool →KEEP READING
Educational only, not financial advice. Cost-of-living estimates are modeled approximations from public data and will not match any individual budget exactly. Verify rent, tax, and salary figures for your own situation before making a move.