Somerville, MA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2023-11-15

Cost Of Living In Somerville, MA Summary

Cost of living in Somerville research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Somerville is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in Massachusetts, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

  • The cost of living index in Somerville is 158, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Somerville is 1.6x higher than the national average.

  • Somerville ranks as the #97 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 113.

  • Somerville ranks as the #5,974 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.

  • The median home value in Somerville is $739,900.

  • The median income in Somerville is $108,896.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
158
Somerville's Overall Cost Of Living
1.6x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Somerville, MA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Somerville has an overall cost of living index of 158, which is 1.6x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Massachusetts, Somerville has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Massachusetts's index of 143.

The standard of living in Somerville ranks as #97 most affordable out of the 113 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Somerville ranks as the #16 most expensive place in the Bay State.

For more reading on life in Somerville, check out:

97 out of 113
In Massachusetts
5,974 out of 6,412
In America

Somerville Cost Of Living Vs. Massachusetts

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Somerville. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Somerville is 125.

  • The Groceries index in Somerville is 112.

  • The Health index in Somerville is 122.

  • The Housing index in Somerville is 243.

  • The Transportation index in Somerville is 109.

  • The Utilities index in Somerville is 120.

Living Expense Somerville Massachusetts National Average
Overall 158 143 100
Services 125 126 100
Groceries 112 108 100
Health 122 117 100
Housing 243 202 100
Transportation 109 114 100
Utilities 120 123 100
For more reading on cost of living around Massachusetts, check out:
Somerville Cost of Living Vs. MA

Somerville, MA Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in Massachusetts, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Somerville is $739,900.

  • The Median Rent in Somerville is $2,152.

  • The Median Income in Somerville is $108,896.

  • The Home Value To Income in Somerville is 6.8x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Somerville is 0.24x.

Statistic Somerville Massachusetts United States
Median Home Value $739,900 $424,700 $244,900
Median Rent $2,152 $1,429 $1,163
Median Income $108,896 $89,026 $69,021
Home Value To Income 6.8x 4.8x 3.5x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.24x 0.19x 0.2x
Search Homes For Sale In Somerville, MA
$739,900
Median Home Value
$2,152
Median Rent
$108,896
Median Income

Somerville, MA Costs By Category

Detailed Somerville Services Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Somerville Massachusetts
Shampoo $1.0 $1.06
Movie $14.43 $10.68
Bowling $21.0 $14.67
Haircut $34.97 $18.62
Beauty Salon $64.17 $39.05

Detailed Somerville Groceries Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Somerville Massachusetts
Ground Beef $3.74 $4.22
Fried Chicken $1.64 $1.39
Milk $2.27 $2.05
Potatoes $4.02 $3.29
Pizza $11.16 $10.62
Beer $9.29 $9.38
Toothpaste $2.3 $2.34

Detailed Somerville Health Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Somerville Massachusetts
Optometrist $102.75 $108.57
Doctor $194.0 $116.17
Dentist $108.27 $99.13

Detailed Somerville Transportation Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Somerville Massachusetts
Gasoline $2.19 $2.22
Tire Balancing $64.47 $50.07

Detailed Somerville Utilities Costs Vs. Massachusetts

Item Somerville Massachusetts
All Electricity $233.87 $167.67
Phone $181.11 $175.64

Somerville SnackAbility

9
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
9/10
Housing
10
Affordability
4
Diversity
8.5
Safety
8
Amenities
10
Education
8.5
Commute
4

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Somerville

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Somerville. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Cambridge, MA has a cost of living index of 172, 1.1x Somerville.

  • Newton, MA has a cost of living index of 192, 1.2x Somerville.

  • Malden, MA has a cost of living index of 137, 0.9x Somerville.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Somerville
Cambridge, MA 116,892 172 1.1x
Newton, MA 88,647 192 1.2x
Malden, MA 65,602 137 0.9x
Brookline, MA 62,620 191 1.2x
Medford, MA 60,708 147 0.9x
Everett, MA 48,368 137 0.9x
Arlington, MA 46,045 162 1.0x
Chelsea, MA 40,025 127 0.8x
Lexington, MA 34,235 190 1.2x
Needham, MA 31,808 180 1.1x

Articles About Massachusetts

Enjoy The Snack?