City comparison
Boston, MA vs Miami, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 5.4% higher than in Boston, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Boston, MA would need about $105,400 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,995 in Miami, FL. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 30% in Miami, FL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −6.0% moving from Boston, MA to Miami, FL ($120,548 → $113,356), while prices change by +5.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.8% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boston, MA | Miami, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 114.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,439 in Miami | $94,841 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $48,640 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 155.6 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 103.6 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 97.2 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 109.1 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 114.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
45 Weak offer
Miami, FL → Boston, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Miami, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Miami, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Miami, FL | Real change, Boston → Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $65,735 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $79,533 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $95,326 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $113,356 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $133,953 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Miami, FL | Miami pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $58,300 | $55,292 (−43.6%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $132,650 | $125,807 (−24.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $80,920 | $76,746 (−23.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $91,380 | $86,666 (−18.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.