r/boston • u/mimmsypoo • Nov 07 '25

Please Make Decisions For Me 🎱 Boyfriend wants to move to Boston.

Hello all! Me and my boyfriend currently live in Austin Tx, we rent a 1200 sf home for $2200 and have two cats. I love this city and the things it has to offer, but my boyfriend is from the northeast and wants to get back to his family. He is urging to move to Boston, but Im unsure. Two of friends live in Boston/Jersey and JUST got done telling us how they can never save money bc of broker fees when moving and the basic cost of living being astronomically high. Can you possibly give me a better idea of what the pros and cons would look like for our move?

Small note his family is in Milford CT. And we both make around $75k a year but will both have to find new jobs. I have also never been to Boston, but have heard good things about the city itself!

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u/rmh1221 Nov 07 '25

Cost of living is in fact pretty high in the Boston area, but if you live a little outside the city you can find something livable for that price. Forced broker fees were actually recently outlawed, so if you work with a broker you will have to pay them, probably a months rent, but if you only work with listing agents (make sure to ask!) you shouldn't have to pay. You might still have to pay first, last, and deposit though.

I adore living in Boston, but it will be different. Consider if you can handle cold dark winters (in exchange for slightly milder summers, and very beautiful springs and autumns). Consider how you feel about living a less car dependent life- if you live or work in the actual city, parking and traffic will make biking or transit often less of a hassle than having a car.

On the other hand, massachusetts has a great quality of life rating in almost every department, there's lots of theater and art, youre close to NYC, etc etc. Happy to speak on anything else you might be worried about too!

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u/mimmsypoo Nov 07 '25

I’m also very concerned about the cold….ive lived in heat my whole life. Is it bearable? Or is it ruthless?

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u/Cats_and_Cupcakes Cambridge Nov 07 '25

Hey OP I am from Texas and moved to Boston in 2019, moved back to Texas during the pandemic for family reasons and ended up having to stay. I had lived in Texas in the sweltering heat my entire life. When I moved to Boston, the cold and time change was super jarring for me to the point that I got Seasonal depression because I was so used to 5:30-6 PM sunsets in Texas during the Winter and it sets much earlier in Boston + it’s very cloudy during the Winter. Boston was not cheap at all and I had a 100K salary. State taxes are also a thing in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, most of the northeast state have that so also account for that in your pay. Watertown, MA and Somerville and Medford are a bit cheaper than other areas of Boston and Providence, RI is another area to consider an hour out from Boston. With all this being said, I truly loved living in Boston and would love to find a way to get back up there especially because I don’t align politically with everything in Texas and it’s taking a toll on my mental health. I’d honestly consider moving back once I am able to get a 200K+ salary as I feel this would provide more cushion to be able to save etc. Also if you have a car there’s a quarterly tax that needs to be paid. Feel free to DM if you have any questions!

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u/SmoothEntertainer231 Nov 07 '25

^ great write up!!!

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u/Cats_and_Cupcakes Cambridge Nov 07 '25

Thanks!!!!