San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont Boston-Cambridge-Newton

Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources

Verdict
Strongly Favorable
Cost Index: 115.6 → 108.3
Rent Delta: +$29/mo

Pros of Moving

  • + 7% lower cost of living
  • + Lower violent crime rate
  • + Better student-teacher ratios
  • + Fewer environmental violations

Cons of Moving

  • - $12K lower median salary

Moving from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont to Boston-Cambridge-Newton shifts your BEA Regional Price Parity from 115.6 to 108.3 (100 = US average), so a San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont salary needs to be multiplied by 0.94 to hold the same purchasing power in Boston-Cambridge-Newton. On rent, HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom goes from $2,912/month in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont to $2,941/month in Boston-Cambridge-Newton - a higher monthly bill of $29, or $348/year. That rent delta alone is often the single biggest line item when relocating.

Wages tell the other half. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report a median salary of $95,708 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont versus $83,802 in Boston-Cambridge-Newton - a raw gap of $11,906 lower. The Boston-Cambridge-Newton labor market has 2,639,240 tracked jobs against 2,339,300 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, shaping how easy it is to find a comparable role. Combine that with the cost-of-living shift above and you get the real purchasing-power delta, sometimes a "higher salary" is actually a pay cut once rent and RPP are applied.

Safety, schools, and childcare round out the move. FBI UCR violent crime rates near San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont and Boston-Cambridge-Newton are 477 and 309 per 100,000 (state-level). NCES student-teacher ratios run 21.5:1 at origin versus 12.3:1 at destination. DOL center-based infant care costs $17,920/year in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont versus $20,571/year in Boston-Cambridge-Newton. Our composite verdict - Strongly Favorable - weighs all seven federal sources; the dimension table below lets you override that with your personal priorities.

Dimension
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Winner
💰 Cost of Living
RPP 115.6
RPP 108.3
Boston-Cambridge-Newton
🏠 Rent (2BR)
$2,912/mo
$2,941/mo
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
💼 Wages
$95,708
$83,802
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
🔒 Crime
477 per 100K
309 per 100K
Boston-Cambridge-Newton
🎓 Schools
21.5:1
12.3:1
Boston-Cambridge-Newton
👶 Childcare
$17,920/yr
$20,571/yr
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
🌿 Environment
17550 violations
1106 violations
Boston-Cambridge-Newton

Salary Adjustment Calculator

Enter your current salary in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont to see what you'd need to earn in Boston-Cambridge-Newton to maintain the same purchasing power.

Equivalent salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Boston-Cambridge-Newton more expensive than San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton has an RPP of 108.3 compared to San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont's 115.6 (100 = national average). San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont is more expensive overall. The 2BR rent in Boston-Cambridge-Newton is $2,941/mo vs $2,912/mo in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont.
What are salaries like in Boston-Cambridge-Newton compared to San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
The median salary in Boston-Cambridge-Newton is $83,802 compared to $95,708 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont. That's a -$11,906 difference.
Is Boston-Cambridge-Newton safer than San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
The violent crime rate near Boston-Cambridge-Newton is 309 per 100K vs 477 per 100K near San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont (state-level data). Boston-Cambridge-Newton has a lower crime rate.
How much would I need to earn in Boston-Cambridge-Newton to match my San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont salary?
To maintain the same purchasing power, multiply your San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont salary by 0.94. For example, a $75,000 salary in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont would need to be $70,234 in Boston-Cambridge-Newton. Use the salary calculator above for your exact figure.
What does the "Strongly Favorable" verdict mean?
The verdict is computed from 7 dimensions, cost of living, rent, wages, crime, schools, childcare, and environment, using federal data. "Strongly Favorable" means the destination clearly wins on most dimensions. Individual priorities may shift the balance, weigh the dimensions that matter most to you.

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Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026

Data Sources

  • Cost of Living: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities
  • Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR)
  • Wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES)
  • Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - state level
  • Schools: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • Childcare: Department of Labor (DOL) - state level
  • Environment: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)