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Boston vs Minneapolis: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Minneapolis is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 3% lower than in Boston, and housing runs 33% lower. Boston pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $66,500 against $59,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Boston ($61,500 against $56,500 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Boston runs 3% higher than Minneapolis overall, and housing runs 33% higher.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Minneapolis, you need about $103,500 in Boston. To keep $100,000 from Boston, you need about $97,000 in Minneapolis.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $66,500 in Boston, $59,500 in Minneapolis.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $159,000 in Boston, $110,000 in Minneapolis.
- Open postings in our data: 5,962 in Boston from 677 employers, 2,032 in Minneapolis from 282 employers.
- Unemployment: 4.1% in Boston, 4.7% in Minneapolis (BLS).
Boston and Minneapolis side by side
| Measure | Boston | Minneapolis | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 108.3 | 104.8 | Minneapolis |
| Housing price level | 148.4 | 111.8 | Minneapolis |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $66,500 | $59,500 | Boston |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $61,500 | $56,500 | Boston |
| Median pay in open postings | $159,000 | $110,000 | Boston |
| Postings that list pay | 59.8% | 37.4% | Boston |
| Open postings in our data | 5,962 | 2,032 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 677 | 282 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 4.1% | 4.7% | Boston |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 26.5% | 22.8% | Minneapolis |
| Median days a posting has been open | 28 | 24 | Minneapolis |
| Entry-level share of postings | 12.6% | 13.6% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 7.8% | 2.9% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -16% | -17.6% | Boston |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
Boston prices sit 108.3 against a US average of 100 and Minneapolis at 104.8. The biggest difference is housing: 148.4 in Boston against 111.8 in Minneapolis. Utilities are 59% higher in Boston. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | Boston | Minneapolis | Boston vs Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 108.3 | 104.8 | 3% higher |
| Housing | 148.4 | 111.8 | 33% higher |
| Goods | 99.7 | 103.1 | 3% lower |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 93.5 | 59% higher |
| Other services | 103.6 | 104.4 | 1% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Minneapolis to Boston; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in Minneapolis | Matching salary in Boston | If only housing moved | Salary in Boston | Matching salary in Minneapolis | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $51,500 | $66,500 | $50,000 | $48,500 | $37,500 |
| $75,000 | $77,500 | $99,500 | $75,000 | $72,500 | $56,500 |
| $100,000 | $103,500 | $132,500 | $100,000 | $97,000 | $75,500 |
| $125,000 | $129,000 | $166,000 | $125,000 | $121,000 | $94,000 |
| $150,000 | $155,000 | $199,000 | $150,000 | $145,000 | $113,000 |
| $200,000 | $206,500 | $265,500 | $200,000 | $193,500 | $150,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $49.66 an hour in Boston for someone earning $100,000 in Minneapolis.
Pay for the same job
Across the 57 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Boston for 46 and higher in Minneapolis for 11. After local prices are counted, Boston comes out ahead in 35 and Minneapolis in 22. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $39,300 in Boston against $25,900 in Minneapolis.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Boston median | Minneapolis median | Boston adjusted for prices | Minneapolis adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $40,900 | $38,900 | $37,800 | $37,100 |
| General and Operations Managers | $133,800 | $103,600 | $123,600 | $98,800 |
| Retail Salespersons | $36,900 | $36,700 | $34,000 | $35,000 |
| Registered Nurses | $106,200 | $103,000 | $98,100 | $98,300 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $36,300 | $33,000 | $33,500 | $31,500 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $49,900 | $49,500 | $46,100 | $47,200 |
| Cashiers | $36,000 | $35,800 | $33,300 | $34,100 |
| Office Clerks, General | $50,700 | $48,800 | $46,800 | $46,500 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $46,600 | $40,800 | $43,000 | $38,900 |
| Software Developers | $166,100 | $130,900 | $153,400 | $124,900 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $39,300 | $25,900 | $36,300 | $24,700 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $37,700 | $37,400 | $34,800 | $35,700 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $45,600 | $47,300 | $42,100 | $45,100 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,200 | $86,500 | $92,500 | $82,500 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | $40,900 | $45,300 | $37,800 | $43,200 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Pay employers are offering right now
The wages above are what people earn in jobs they already hold. Open postings show what employers are offering today. In the job families where both areas have at least 15 postings that list pay, the median listed salary is higher in Boston for 5 of 5 and higher in Minneapolis for 0. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | Boston median listed pay | Postings | Minneapolis median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $142,500 | 265 | $100,000 | 87 |
| Marketing | $145,000 | 126 | $102,000 | 16 |
| Product and design | $185,000 | 92 | $105,000 | 17 |
| Finance and accounting | $156,000 | 62 | $130,000 | 20 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $141,000 | 38 | $140,000 | 18 |
Only postings that list a salary are counted. Median of the middle of each listed range. Job families need at least 15 such postings in both areas to appear.
Who is hiring
Boston's postings lean toward healthcare & life sciences (40.8%), while Minneapolis's lean toward retail & e-commerce (18.3%). The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in Boston: Mass General Brigham (1,278), State Street (234), Anduril Industries (198), Whoop (167), Formlabs (136).
- Largest posters in Minneapolis: 3M (148), Hy-Vee (134), Xcel Energy (92), Medtronic (88), U.S. Bank (82).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 28 days in Boston and 24 in Minneapolis; 26.5% and 22.8% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 12.6% of postings in Boston and 13.6% in Minneapolis; senior and above are 45.8% and 37.8%.
- Fully remote roles are 7.8% of postings in Boston and 2.9% in Minneapolis.
- Indeed's postings index sits 16% below its February 2020 level in Boston and 17.6% below in Minneapolis.
- 59.8% of postings in Boston list pay, against 37.4% in Minneapolis.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Minneapolis) stretches it further: $100,000 in Boston has the buying power of about $97,000 in Minneapolis.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Boston comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($61,500 against $56,500).
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (148.4 vs 111.8) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Boston or Minneapolis?
Minneapolis is cheaper. Overall prices run 3% lower than in Boston, and housing runs 33% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in Boston to match $100,000 in Minneapolis?
About $103,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (108.3 in Boston, 104.8 in Minneapolis). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Boston or Minneapolis?
Boston has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $66,500 against $59,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Boston has the higher paycheck power: $61,500 against $56,500 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Boston has more: 5,962 against 2,032. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
More on these places
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: all the data
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: all the data
- Compare them in the interactive tool
- Cost-of-living ranking · Paycheck power ranking
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Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology