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Boston vs Seattle: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Boston is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 3% lower than in Seattle, and housing runs 2% lower. Seattle pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $72,500 against $66,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Seattle ($65,500 against $61,500 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Boston runs 3% lower than Seattle overall, and housing runs 2% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Seattle, you need about $97,500 in Boston. To keep $100,000 from Boston, you need about $102,500 in Seattle.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $66,500 in Boston, $72,500 in Seattle.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $159,000 in Boston, $182,500 in Seattle.
- Open postings in our data: 5,962 in Boston from 677 employers, 4,540 in Seattle from 533 employers.
- Unemployment: 4.1% in Boston, 4.8% in Seattle (BLS).
Boston and Seattle side by side
| Measure | Boston | Seattle | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 108.3 | 111.1 | Boston |
| Housing price level | 148.4 | 151.3 | About the same |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $66,500 | $72,500 | Seattle |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $61,500 | $65,500 | Seattle |
| Median pay in open postings | $159,000 | $182,500 | Seattle |
| Postings that list pay | 59.8% | 61.3% | Seattle |
| Open postings in our data | 5,962 | 4,540 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 677 | 533 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 4.1% | 4.8% | Boston |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 26.5% | 41.8% | Boston |
| Median days a posting has been open | 28 | 44 | Boston |
| Entry-level share of postings | 12.6% | 7.2% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 7.8% | 7.9% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | -16% | -32.4% | 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 Seattle at 111.1. The biggest difference is housing: 148.4 in Boston against 151.3 in Seattle. Utilities are 60% 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 | Seattle | Boston vs Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 108.3 | 111.1 | 3% lower |
| Housing | 148.4 | 151.3 | 2% lower |
| Goods | 99.7 | 104 | 4% lower |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 92.8 | 60% higher |
| Other services | 103.6 | 106.8 | 3% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Seattle 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 Seattle | Matching salary in Boston | If only housing moved | Salary in Boston | Matching salary in Seattle | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $48,500 | $49,000 | $50,000 | $51,500 | $51,000 |
| $75,000 | $73,000 | $73,500 | $75,000 | $77,000 | $76,500 |
| $100,000 | $97,500 | $98,000 | $100,000 | $102,500 | $102,000 |
| $125,000 | $122,000 | $122,500 | $125,000 | $128,500 | $127,500 |
| $150,000 | $146,000 | $147,000 | $150,000 | $154,000 | $153,000 |
| $200,000 | $195,000 | $196,000 | $200,000 | $205,500 | $204,000 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $46.84 an hour in Boston for someone earning $100,000 in Seattle.
Pay for the same job
Across the 56 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Boston for 14 and higher in Seattle for 42. After local prices are counted, Boston comes out ahead in 17 and Seattle in 39. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $39,300 in Boston against $57,300 in Seattle.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Boston median | Seattle median | Boston adjusted for prices | Seattle adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $166,100 | $167,300 | $153,400 | $150,500 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $40,900 | $48,200 | $37,800 | $43,400 |
| Retail Salespersons | $36,900 | $42,100 | $34,000 | $37,900 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $36,300 | $39,200 | $33,500 | $35,200 |
| Registered Nurses | $106,200 | $128,300 | $98,100 | $115,400 |
| General and Operations Managers | $133,800 | $146,000 | $123,600 | $131,400 |
| Cashiers | $36,000 | $44,200 | $33,300 | $39,800 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $46,600 | $46,500 | $43,000 | $41,800 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $39,300 | $57,300 | $36,300 | $51,500 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $37,700 | $46,800 | $34,800 | $42,100 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $49,900 | $53,600 | $46,100 | $48,200 |
| Office Clerks, General | $50,700 | $53,300 | $46,800 | $48,000 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,200 | $99,400 | $92,500 | $89,400 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $45,600 | $47,700 | $42,100 | $43,000 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $102,400 | $102,200 | $94,600 | $91,900 |
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 1 of 12 and higher in Seattle for 11. 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 | Seattle median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software developers | $190,000 | 276 | $210,000 | 403 |
| Sales | $142,500 | 265 | $130,000 | 166 |
| Software engineering | $184,000 | 96 | $200,000 | 146 |
| Operations and logistics | $130,500 | 114 | $141,500 | 108 |
| Product and design | $185,000 | 92 | $190,000 | 129 |
| Marketing | $145,000 | 126 | $176,500 | 85 |
| Security and IT | $166,000 | 87 | $203,500 | 111 |
| Engineering (other) | $152,500 | 70 | $160,000 | 99 |
| Finance and accounting | $156,000 | 62 | $176,000 | 53 |
| Legal and compliance | $187,000 | 47 | $200,000 | 65 |
| People and recruiting | $136,500 | 50 | $150,000 | 37 |
| Customer support and success | $126,000 | 43 | $173,000 | 36 |
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 Seattle's lean toward software & technology (32.8%). 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 Seattle: SpaceX (467), Anthropic (183), CoreWeave (146), Shield AI (137), DoorDash USA (134).
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 44 in Seattle; 26.5% and 41.8% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 12.6% of postings in Boston and 7.2% in Seattle; senior and above are 45.8% and 52.5%.
- Fully remote roles are 7.8% of postings in Boston and 7.9% in Seattle.
- Indeed's postings index sits 16% below its February 2020 level in Boston and 32.4% below in Seattle.
- 59.8% of postings in Boston list pay, against 61.3% in Seattle.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Boston) stretches it further: $100,000 in Seattle has the buying power of about $97,500 in Boston.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Seattle comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($65,500 against $61,500).
- Software developers: median listed pay is $190,000 in Boston and $210,000 in Seattle, which is $175,500 and $189,000 in average-US dollars.
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (148.4 vs 151.3) 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 Seattle?
Boston is cheaper. Overall prices run 3% lower than in Seattle, and housing runs 2% 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 Seattle?
About $97,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (108.3 in Boston, 111.1 in Seattle). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Boston or Seattle?
Seattle has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $72,500 against $66,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Seattle has the higher paycheck power: $65,500 against $61,500 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 4,540. 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
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 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