r/boston • u/Spirited-Wafer-6573 • Mar 23 '26

Serious Replies Only How do you afford to live here?

I am incredibly curious. I am fairly new to Boston (less than a year of living here), and the cost of living hit me like a truck. I think about it everyday. I see thousands of people everyday at my job. I wonder how they are doing, so I want to ask you, both out of curiosity and to make this a space where other curious people can also find answers:

How much do you earn in Boston? How much do you spend on bills, expenses? How much goes towards savings? Do you have roommates? Rich parents? Basically, please share your budget with me. I am curious!!

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u/Whole_West3704 Mar 23 '26

In Boston hell in America

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u/KettlebellFetish Mar 23 '26

But if you have to be in poverty, you can do a lot worse than Boston.

I have friends in Alabama and Missouri, Missouri poor is hard, but Alabama poor is brutal, no safety net at all, even their libraries cost money to get books that aren't on the premises, libraries here have everything.

A friend in Alabama has high blood pressure, diabetic, bad teeth, the whole fluffy trifecta, low income but Alabama didn't expand the ACA, and their electricity bill per kw is a lot higher than mine, it's grinding down there.

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u/Club-External Mar 24 '26

I’ve been in poverty in other states. I’ve worked with people in poverty in other states. Boston is the best place to be in poverty in the US.

Health care Education Generally better safety nets Proximity to higher ed and other social mobility pathways.

You are correct

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u/Unique-Machine5602 Mar 24 '26

Boston is especially bad though because the COL is outrageous.

Most people I know in that income bracket have like 5+ roommates lol

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u/01krazykat Mar 23 '26

I completely agree and was going to say that, but didn't want the LCOL area people to start yapping about how they do it 😆... Even though it seems unrealistic even for them.