Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael, CA and Boston, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Boston, MA: $4,275 a month against $4,547 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

219

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael, CA
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San Rafael, CA Living Index
204

Cost of Living Index in Boston, MA
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Boston, MA Living Index

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San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,547

/mo nomad

Boston, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,275

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Rafael, CA and in Boston, MA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Rafael, CA and in Boston, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,547 per month in San Rafael, CA vs $4,275 in Boston, MA, rent included.

San Rafael, CA $4,547
Boston, MA $4,275

A couple spends around $6,255 per month in San Rafael, CA vs $6,046 in Boston, MA, rent included.

San Rafael, CA $6,255
Boston, MA $6,046

A family of three spends $7,963 per month in San Rafael, CA vs $7,816 in Boston, MA, rent included.

San Rafael, CA $7,963
Boston, MA $7,816

San Rafael, CA costs about 6% more than Boston, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both San Rafael, CA and Boston, MA sit above the global median – San Rafael, CA by 234%, Boston, MA by 214%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 $25.37

$27.91 $27.91

-9.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

-0.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.67 $11.67

$11.87 $11.87

-1.68%

Cappuccino

$4.80 $4.80

$5.32 $5.32

-9.77%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.99 $2.99

-1.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.28 $2.28

28.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 $5.64

$8.15 $8.15

-30.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 $6.97

$8.95 $8.95

-22.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.21 $1.21

23.97%

White Bread (500g)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.41 $4.41

4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$7.23 $7.23

34.16%

Eggs

$5.44 $5.44

$6.08 $6.08

-10.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.82 $22.82

$15.44 $15.44

47.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.29 $15.29

$14.08 $14.08

8.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.54 $18.54

$19.08 $19.08

-2.83%

Apples (1kg)

$7.29 $7.29

$7.18 $7.18

1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.99 $1.99

48.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$5.36 $5.36

24.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.36 $8.36

$7.69 $7.69

8.71%

Potato (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$4.56 $4.56

28.51%

Onion (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$4.00 $4.00

41.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.89 $2.89

8.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.99 $3.99

$2.98 $2.98

33.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.42 $11.42

$13.39 $13.39

-14.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 $12.78

$15.33 $15.33

-16.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.10 $3.10

-28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$4.56 $4.56

-34.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.38 $2.38

-13.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.37 $40.37

$89.5 $89.5

-54.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.58 $2.58

55.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.80 $1.80

143.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 $29.55

$27.46 $27.46

7.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.15 $1.15

21.74%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.4K $29.4K

-0.00%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.0K $26.0K

1.01%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$251 $251

$243 $243

3.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$85.1 $85.1

$56.1 $56.1

51.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.7 $61.7

$84.2 $84.2

-26.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 $124

$68.0 $68.0

82.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.91 $29.91

$41.11 $41.11

-27.24%

Cinema Ticket

$12.93 $12.93

$15.68 $15.68

-17.54%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,091 $2,091

$2,653 $2,653

-21.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$36.5K $36.5K

-33.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 $60.9

$73.9 $73.9

-17.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 $42.54

$51.9 $51.9

-17.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 $96.5

$111 $111

-13.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$155 $155

-15.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,814 $2,814

$3,400 $3,400

-17.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,838 $2,838

$2,587 $2,587

9.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,116 $4,116

$5,840 $5,840

-29.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,993 $3,993

$3,908 $3,908

2.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,383 $8,383

$14.0K $14.0K

-39.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,743 $5,743

$6,470 $6,470

-11.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,930 $6,930

$5,753 $5,753

20.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.66

-0.60%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for San Rafael, CA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Boston, MA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

San Rafael, CA

$2.8K 62.4%

Boston, MA

$2.6K 60.5% 8.8% $251

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael, CA

$577 12.7%

Boston, MA

$515 12.1% 10.6% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael, CA

$398 8.8%

Boston, MA

$384 9% 3.6% $14

Eating Out

San Rafael, CA

$361 7.9%

Boston, MA

$403 9.4% 11.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael, CA

$150 3.3%

Boston, MA

$99 2.3% 33.6% $50

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael, CA

$149 3.3%

Boston, MA

$176 4.1% 18.5% $28

Getting Around

San Rafael, CA

$75 1.6%

Boston, MA

$111 2.6% 48.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,814 in San Rafael, CA versus $3,400 in Boston, MA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in San Rafael, CA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in San Rafael, CA versus $122 in Boston, MA. Groceries tell a different story – $577 in San Rafael, CA vs $515 in Boston, MA – so Boston, MA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 Boston, MA

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

00:26 12:26 AM

3 h ahead of San Rafael, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,704

675,647

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

San Rafael, CA Boston, MA 4,330 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

San Rafael, CA
Boston, MA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

San Rafael, CA vs Boston, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Rafael, CA costs about 6% more than Boston, MA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,821 per month in San Rafael, CA and $6,413 in Boston, MA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Rafael, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,814 there versus $3,400 in Boston, MA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,547 in San Rafael, CA and $4,275 in Boston, MA. That makes Boston, MA about 6% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,091 per month in San Rafael, CA and $2,653 in Boston, MA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,547 in San Rafael, CA and $4,275 in Boston, MA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Boston, MA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $4,275 in Boston, MA to $4,547 in San Rafael, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Boston, MA. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Rafael, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.