What kind of salary do you need to live comfortably in Boston?

Question

I'd like to hear from people who live there or in the area. How much money do you have to earn to be able to afford rent, insurance, gas, groceries, etc. and still have some money to put into savings. I know apartment rentals run anywhere from $1500-$2000 a month but Im not so sure about other expenses.

Answer 1

Living just outside the city is totally worth your money, or even in Brighton/Allston area. My car insurance with a perfect driving record for an 06 lancer with 3 years of driving experience (even though Im 24...lol) is 184/month, with two months free per year. Insurance is pretty standard here, and doesnt deviate much....there are strict standards on what insurance companies can charge here which is why you dont see any big carriers, like allstate, geico etc. Gas...lets see...I commute to work about 8 miles roundtrip a day, plus on my days off Im always driving around somewhere...I probably spend 40 bucks a week on gas. Right now its around 3.80/gallon. If you are planning on living IN the city, expect to have to purchase a parking permit, or garage fee per month...however you will avoid that completely if you live outside the city. I work in a restaurant so I dont really buy groceries, but Its pretty standard everywhere. Cable/internet here usually runs between 100-120 a month if you get a combined package. Most places dont have central AC so if you use one in the summer, expect to see it reflected in your electric bill, though its not TOO difficult to find a place that includes at least some of the utilities in your rent. I share my 2 bedroom apartment in dedham, ma, about 20 minutes out of the city with my boyfriend. Our electric is inluded but we pay heat and hot water. Our rent is 1200/month...and our gas bill last month was only 30 bucks, but again we dont cook so thats probably why it was so low. This is my monthly breakdown

Rent: 1200
Utilities: 130 (Cable, internet and Gas) though that will be around 180 in the winter
Insurance (car): 185
Gas: 120
Groceries: 40 bucks, but whatever you pay now won't change much
Entertainment: (thats a BIG one what you forgot/left out) 400
Clothing: 200 (some people spend a LOOOOOT more, and some spend less, it depends where you shop and what you like to spend I suppose)

Thats all I can think of for now...it's kind of expensive but people also generally get paid more around here, for pretty much every job they do. I afford this lifestyle as a waiter, and I always have money left over to save at the end of the month. It's totally do-able, it just depends how aware of your finances you are. I love boston, I dont ever want to leave! Good luck

Answer 2

My first paycheck out of college was about $1700 a month (after taxes)...about $27000 a year, and I lived in Boston..outskirt of the city (7 yrs ago) I was renting a small one bedroom for $850 a month...I don't have a car (not necessary when you live in Boston).
You said that rent goes for $1500-$2000 which can be true but if you really look, you can get great deals (use newspapers and not rental agencies).
Right now, I pay $1050 for a very large 2-bedroom. I make about $60k a year now.

You would want to live in the outskirt of Boston and not in the middle of Boston...Jamaica Plain, Malden, Medford, Charlestown are all about 10-15 mins from downtown Boston and accessible by train.

Like I said I don't have a car, but my monthly expenses outside rent is about $700 a month.
I'm not the kind to preach, but I always set aside 10% out of my paycheck for tithing (present to God in church), when you do this, you will notice that God pays you back even more.

Answer 3

The closer you get to Boston proper the more expensive things get. Sort of like living in Manhattan vs Queens.

For car insurance, Massachusetts is the only state in the union that has controlled insurance rates. No point in shopping around, all the insurance companies charge you the same.

Gas - I paid $2.79 gallon last night, on the north shore.

Groceries - I don't find them that much more expensive than other parts of the country, but then I don't shop in Boston proper.

If you live in Boston proper, I don't think I'd even have a car. You can get all over town on the T and you have pay big $ to park a car. If your car is nice, it will either be ruined or stolen - why bother.

You can live outside of Boston, inside of Rt128 and still use the T to get into town. You can also live as far out as I495 and ride the commuter train into town, then transfer to the T from North or South station. Point being it's significantly cheaper to live in Waltham/Woburn/Peabody/Essex/Billerica/.... than Boston proper.

The biggest expense will be rent. I believe Boston currently ranks 3rd on the list for most expensive cost of living in the US. New York, San Francisco, Boston.

Heat and electricity can be expensive, however many landlords include heat in the rent. Old buildings with central heating systems - it's not possible to distinguish one unit from another.

The key is to figure what things in your life are must haves vs nice to haves. If I lived in backbay a car would be a nice to have.

For a single person, living alone - I'd guess you want to make around $75K/year?

If your young, have no kids - live in the city. Have a blast.

Answer 4

Boston has an abundant history and a diverse neighbourhood; it's a heritage of arts, lifestyle, and knowledge; Boston has anything for everyone therefore find what Boston can offer you with hotelbye . The three-mile Freedom Trail leads you previous - and in to - 16 of the city's key traditional monuments and sites. It's easy to follow along with, by the type of red stones in the sidewalk and by footprints at road crossings. The trail can take you to Old Granary Burying Ground where Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock are hidden; will get you to King's Chapel Burying Ground, the Boston's oldest cemetery; Old South Meeting House where in actuality the calling speeches of patriots spawned the Boston Tea Party and the Old State House, Boston's oldest public making and the website of the Boston Massacre.

Answer 5

Try living in an outlying suburb or even about an hour's drive away. Living in Boston will eat your paycheck up. Peabody is a nice suburb, but if you want the luxury of quiet with cheap standard of living, live near Foxboro (home of the Patriots). That area is beautiful, quiet, and much more affordable than Boston itself. Southern New Hampshire and Rhode Island also have nice atmospheres to investigate.

Answer 6

Thank you all for your replies and opinions.