City comparison
Austin, TX vs Boston, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 10.4% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $110,400 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,562 in Austin, TX. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 24% in Austin, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.2% moving from Austin, TX to Boston, MA ($109,428 → $120,548), while prices change by +10.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.2% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Boston, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 108.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,401 in Boston | $90,579 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $2,476/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $66,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 148.4 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 103.6 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 108.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
17 Weak offer
Boston, MA → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Boston, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Boston, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Boston, MA | Real change, Austin → Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $69,905 | −0.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $84,579 | −0.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $101,375 | −0.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $120,548 | −0.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $142,452 | −0.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Boston, MA | Boston pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $98,060 | $88,822 (+45.0%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $166,090 | $150,442 (+12.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $100,150 | $90,715 (+9.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $106,180 | $96,177 (−1.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.