City cost comparison

Boston vs Washington

Housing, childcare, healthcare, food, and education — side by side for families weighing Boston, MA against Washington, DC.

Comparison matrix

Emerald badges flag the cheaper city for each line item; rose marks when the other city wins on cost.

Metric	Boston, MA	Washington, DC	Difference
HousingFamily housing premium / month	$1,350 Illustrative estimate — methodology	$1,458 Illustrative estimate — methodology	+7% cheaper in Boston
ChildcareAvg monthly (infant → school-age)	$2,040 Illustrative estimate — methodology	$2,142 Illustrative estimate — methodology	+5% cheaper in Boston
HealthcareFamily premium share + child OOP / month	$805 Illustrative estimate — methodology	$837 Illustrative estimate — methodology	+4% cheaper in Boston
FoodPer child / month	$450 Illustrative estimate — methodology	$459 Illustrative estimate — methodology	+2% cheaper in Boston
EducationAnnual baseline ÷ 12	$108 Illustrative estimate — methodology	$112 Illustrative estimate — methodology	+4% cheaper in Boston

Curated planning baselines (updated 2026-01-15 / 2026-01-15) — not live survey pulls. Verify local rates before major decisions.