Houston, TX vs Boston, MA
Compare take-home pay, housing costs, and property taxes—then see what salary would feel equivalent.
Assumptions updated: March 2026
Why compare Houston and Boston?
Moving from Houston to Boston can change taxes, housing costs, and monthly affordability.
Use this calculator to compare take-home pay, estimate housing costs, and see how much monthly flexibility you may have in each location.
Income & Location
Income impact
-$497Lower
Rent Inputs
Estimated Living Costs
Groceries: $673
Utilities: $268
Transportation: $337
Healthcare: $214
Estimated costs adjust automatically based on the selected city.
Results
Assumptions updated: March 2026 · Planning estimates only
Current city: Houston
Target city: Boston
Net monthly (current): $8,600
Net monthly (target): $8,104
Gross monthly: $12,500.00
Est. taxes (current): $3,899.54 (31.2%)
Est. taxes (target): $4,396.42 (35.2%)
Includes supported local city income tax where applicable.
Monthly housing (rent)
Total (rent + renter’s ins + parking): $2,370.00
Housing % of net (target): 29.2%
Results are estimates only. No information entered is stored or shared.
Tax estimates include federal income tax, FICA, state income tax, and supported local city income taxes where applicable.
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Monthly Flexibility
$5,733.58
After housing
This is what you have left each month in Boston after housing costs.
Higher flexibility gives you more room for saving, investing, and unexpected expenses.
COMPARABLE SALARY
$180,500
Boston is roughly 20% more expensive than Houston.
Based on housing, transportation, and essential cost weighting.
Comfort Score™
🟡 · Manageable
Target housing
Doable, but watch recurring costs and lifestyle creep.
Based on how much of your target net monthly income goes toward housing.
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Assumptions updated: March 2026