Median rent is 3% lower in Santa Ana ($2,082/mo vs $2,147/mo). Buying is cheaper in Santa Ana, where the median home runs $713,000 versus $731,700. Households earn more in Boston ($97,344 vs $93,999 a year).
City A
Boston, MA
City B
Santa Ana, CA
How much would you need to earn in Santa Ana, CA to maintain your standard of living from Boston, MA?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Boston
Massachusetts
Santa Ana
California
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rents are similar in both cities: $2,147/mo in Boston and $2,082/mo in Santa Ana. Median home values are within 3% of each other: $731,700 in Boston and $713,000 in Santa Ana.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Boston
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Santa Ana
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Air quality data is available for Boston (avg AQI 31.0) but not yet for Santa Ana.
Is Boston cheaper than Santa Ana?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Boston vs Santa Ana?
Median rent is $2,147/mo in Boston, MA and $2,082/mo in Santa Ana, CA. Santa Ana, CA has the lower rent by about 3%.
Which has higher salaries — Boston or Santa Ana?
Median household income is $97,344 in Boston, MA and $93,999 in Santa Ana, CA. Boston, MA has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Air quality data is not yet available for one or both cities.
Which has lower taxes — Boston or Santa Ana?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Santa Ana to match my Boston income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
