Moving from Philadelphia to Boston
Your paycheck buys slightly less in Boston than in Philadelphia (-3.1%); you'd need about $93,300 to break even. Compare taxes, rent, home prices and the cost of the move.
Equal salary in Boston: $93,300
Compare any two of 149 U.S. metro areas. All cities
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $93,300 in Boston, MA to match $90,000 in Philadelphia, PA ($3,300 more), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary. Uses Pennsylvania and Massachusetts state income tax; includes Philadelphia resident tax $3,362 (inside city limits).
Prices and housing cover the metro area; taxes use Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, their principal states. A metro can span several states; living in its other state can change the tax result.
Philadelphia vs Boston: key facts
- Median rent
- $1,567 → $2,093/mo
- Median home value
- $375,100 → $681,100
- Median household income
- $90,850 → $117,825
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 102.6 → 108.3
- FEMA county-score mean
- Very high county-score mean (94.5 → 93.2 of 100)
Philadelphia vs Boston cost of living
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100).
| Measure | Philadelphia, PA | Boston, MA |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 102.6 | 108.3 |
| Median rent | $1,567 | $2,093 |
| Income to rent affordably (30%) | $62,680 | $83,720 |
| Median home value | $375,100 | $681,100 |
| Monthly cost to own (20% down) | $2,557 | $4,427 |
| Income needed to buy | $109,587 | $189,743 |
| Median property tax | $5,016 | $6,913 |
| State income tax on $90,000 | $2,763 | $4,280 |
| City income tax (inside city limits) | $3,362 | None |
| Metro population | 6,330,422 | 5,025,517 |
Metro-area figures (Census ACS 2024, BEA 2024). The fixed tax rows above use an illustrative single-earner salary of $90,000, rounded from Philadelphia's median household income. Household income can include multiple earners; it is not a typical individual wage. Taxes use each metro's principal state, plus the income tax the principal city charges its residents. Unticking a city's box in the calculator estimates typical suburban tax for living and working outside that tax area; a nonresident city tax for work inside the city is not modeled. A metro can span several states; residence in its other state can change the tax result.
- Philadelphia, PA: Philadelphia residents pay a 3.735% wage tax on all earnings (from July 1, 2026; 3.74% before). If you live outside Philadelphia but work in the city, you pay the 3.425% nonresident wage tax on those wages instead of your home town's tax. Most Pennsylvania suburbs charge their own earned income tax, usually 1%; the New Jersey suburbs have no local income tax. Fixed examples inside the modeled tax area include this tax; calculator totals follow your city-limit selections.
Your yearly budget: Philadelphia vs Boston
This fixed budget example uses $90,000, single filing and residence inside the principal city tax areas. It does not change with the calculator above.
On a $90,000 salary, taxes, gross rent including basic utilities, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $53,003 a year in Philadelphia and $56,935 in Boston if you rent: $3,932 more after the move. If you buy the median home, those selected costs use mortgage, property tax, homeowners insurance and electricity instead of gross rent; they come to $66,826 and $87,120 ($20,294 more).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | PhiladelphiaBefore | BostonAfter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $90,000, single filer | $24,043 | $22,549 | -$1,494 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,155 | $1,326 | +$171 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $2,137 | $2,016 | -$121 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $6,864 | $5,928 | -$936 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent and basic utilities ACS median gross rent, 12 months | $18,804 | $25,116 | +$6,312 |
| Total if you rent | $53,003 | $56,935 | +$3,932 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 7.24% | $24,540 | $44,560 | +$20,020 |
| Property tax median home | $5,016 | $6,913 | +$1,897 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,128 | $1,655 | +$527 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,943 | $2,173 | +$230 |
| Total if you buy | $66,826 | $87,120 | +$20,294 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, plus the principal city's resident income tax where it has one, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 metro-area medians. Gross rent includes tenant-paid electricity, gas, water/sewer and fuels; those basic utilities are not added again. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (7.24%, week of October 29, 2026).
State figures for the principal state: EIA 2025 average residential power bill (buyers only), NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on October 29, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $15,302 a year in Philadelphia and $27,067 in Boston (Child Care Aware of America, 2025 (2024 fallback for Colorado, Washington, DC and South Carolina) state averages).
Who moves from Philadelphia to Boston
About 1,495 households (1,887 people) moved from the Philadelphia metro area to the Boston metro area in 2022–2023, making Boston the #7 destination for people leaving Philadelphia among the 149 metro areas we cover. 1,160 households moved the other way. Their average adjusted gross income was $94,745.
Cost to move from Philadelphia to Boston
| Moving method (2–3 bedrooms) | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) | $370–$930 |
| Moving container | $1,150–$2,270 |
| Full-service movers | $1,920–$5,570 |
Shipping a car instead of driving
Car shipping: $620–$950
Shipping a sedan from Philadelphia to Boston on an open carrier costs about $620–$950, typically 1–4 days in transit over about 310 miles.
Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published mainland-to-Hawaii and mainland-to-Alaska prices. Reverse ocean routes reuse those inbound prices as a proxy, not a separately sourced price for that direction. The 25% SUV and 35% enclosed-carrier uplifts are model assumptions; ocean carrier packages and vehicle charges can differ. Not a quote.
Natural hazard risk: Philadelphia vs Boston
RelocateMath's population-weighted means of FEMA county risk scores are 94.5 for the Philadelphia area and 93.2 for the Boston area, on the county-score scale of 0–100. These means are not official FEMA metro ratings or national metro percentiles. Modeled expected yearly losses from natural hazards average $339 vs $206 per resident; individual properties can differ.
The vertical line marks county-score scale midpoint (50).
The vertical line marks county-score scale midpoint (50).
Frequently asked questions
Is Boston cheaper than Philadelphia?
Overall prices in the Boston area are 5.6% higher than in Philadelphia (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $2,093 vs $1,567 a month, and the median home is $681,100 vs $375,100.
What salary do I need in Boston to match $100,000 in Philadelphia?
About $103,700 in a fixed single-filer W-2 example assuming residence inside both principal cities. It accounts for 2026 federal and principal-state taxes, modeled resident local taxes where applicable, and metro prices. Uses Pennsylvania and Massachusetts state income tax. This illustration stays fixed when calculator inputs change.
How much does it cost to move from Philadelphia to Boston?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 310 miles: roughly $370–$930 with a rental truck, $1,150–$2,270 with a container, or $1,920–$5,570 with full-service movers.
How many people move from Philadelphia to Boston?
IRS county migration data for 2022–2023 show about 1,495 households (1,887 people) moved from the Philadelphia metro area to the Boston metro area, and 1,160 moved the other way.
Related
Where people from Philadelphia move
- Philadelphia to New York 10,894 households
- Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. 2,932 households
- Philadelphia to Allentown 2,110 households
- Philadelphia to Baltimore 2,058 households
- Philadelphia to Miami 1,890 households
- Philadelphia to Trenton 1,659 households
- Philadelphia to Los Angeles 1,467 households
- Philadelphia to Tampa 1,429 households
State-agency links identify the responsible tax office; they do not verify every modeled rule. Use forms and guidance for the year you are filing. Local-tax references retain their own publication or filing years. Some documents cover an earlier filing year; a source link is not a claim that every rule has just been rechecked.