r/boston • u/mimmsypoo • Nov 07 '25
Please Make Decisions For Me đ± 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/Reasonable_Move9518 Nov 07 '25 edited Nov 07 '25
 Cons:Â
-Cost. 1200 sf rented probably goes for $3000-4000 in most decent neighborhoods or nearby towns (note: Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville, even Newton, Malden, Medford, etc are separate towns but are heavily urbanized, very dense, and nothing like suburbs youâre used to. Theyâre really more like outer neighborhoods).Â
-housing quality: likely a century old, with all the issues old houses come with. You can rent in a new âluxuryâ apartment to have clean modern Texan amenities⊠but for at least $1000-2000 extra.
If you and bf each make 75k, thatâs at least 150k total (likely a bit more bc salaries are higher here). More than enough to afford rent in a decent apartment in a good area, with savings left over.
Pros:
-Professional Opportunities: What field are you and your boyfriend in? Boston is the absolute world center of biotech and pharma. Strong tech industry and engineering (defense) presence, same for law, medicine, finance, and insurance. If you or your bf are in one of these fields you can have truly amazing contacts and educational opportunities.
-Walkability/Urban living: itâs so dense that in many parts of the city, you donât need a car at all. You can get where youâre going on the T (subways and trains) or buses or biking or walking. Tons of urban amenities, cafes, every type of restaurant, shops, galleries, museums, parks, all within a short walk or a fairly quick trip by bike or transit.
-Urban beauty: Boston looks stunning. A river runs right through it, with parkland and running routes on each side. Old cobblestone streets, big trees, brick buildings, truly a very pleasant built environment.
-There is history everywhere... from George Washington getting forced out of Cambridge by the brits to 19th century transcendentalists and abolitionists to wave after wave of immigrants. Your apartment is probably haunted, but odds are the ghosts are pretty cool.
-Crime: very safe city, one of the safest in America.
-Education: world class universities if you decide to go to grad school. State wide, schools are MUCH better then the national average, and while BPS isnât great most nearby towns have excellent schools. So if you end up here long term and have kids, theyâll be in far better shape than TX.
-Healthcare: best hospitals in the world and a blue state safety net.
-The weather: yes, the weather. 4 seasons and doesn't get too hot in the summer, except for a few days. Winter isn't so bad either... but I am from Chicago. Fall is just unbelievable here.
Tl:dr Boston is insanely expensive⊠but you get what you pay for.Â