Finance

New Hampshire to Massachusetts: Cost of Living Comparison

Moving from New Hampshire to Massachusetts, the cost of living is about 1.5% more expensive. To keep the same standard of living you have on $100,000 in New Hampshire, you'd need roughly $101,536 in Massachusetts — a raise of about $1,536.

Equivalent salary in Massachusetts
$101,536
Cost of living change
+1.5%
$100,000 in Massachusetts really feels like
$98,488
New HampshireMassachusetts
Price level (US avg = 100)104.2105.8
Salary to match $100,000$100,000$101,536
Purchasing power of $100,000$100,000$98,488

Based on BEA 2024 Regional Price Parities (all-items). Massachusetts is at 105.8 vs New Hampshire at 104.2 on the national-average scale of 100.

Want to try your own salary or a different pair of states? Use the interactive cost-of-living calculator →

How the New HampshireMassachusetts comparison works

Cost of living differs from place to place because the same basket of goods, services and — above all — housing costs different amounts. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis measures this with Regional Price Parities (RPP): an index where the national average is 100. New Hampshire sits at 104.2 and Massachusetts at 105.8, which means everyday spending in Massachusetts costs about 1.5% more than in New Hampshire.

To keep the same standard of living you enjoy on $100,000 in New Hampshire, you would need about $101,536 in Massachusetts. Looked at the other way, if you moved with the same $100,000 paycheck, its real purchasing power once you're paying Massachusetts prices would feel like $98,488.

Remember this is a statewide, all-items average. Your actual experience depends heavily on where exactly you live, whether you rent or own, and your lifestyle — and it doesn't account for the difference in income tax between the two states, which you can model separately in the take-home-pay tools below.

Equivalent salary at other income levels

Your salary in New HampshireEquivalent in MassachusettsDifference
$50,000$50,768+$768
$75,000$76,152+$1,152
$100,000$101,536+$1,536
$150,000$152,303+$2,303
$200,000$203,071+$3,071

See your take-home pay in each state

Cost of living is only half the picture — income tax changes what you actually keep. Compare paychecks:

Move from New Hampshire to another state

⚠️ Cost-of-living estimate based on BEA 2024 Regional Price Parities (all-items, statewide average). Real costs vary by city, housing and lifestyle, and this does not include the difference in state income tax. For general guidance only — not financial advice.