Do salaries compensate for the higher cost of living? (Boston: renting, how much)

[Urban Peasant]

Originally Posted by Dm84

Commuting into Boston from RI every day would kill any savings on housing.

Perhaps not. I checked Providence's rentals a few years ago and you could still find single rooms in shared apartments for circa $650 including utilities. That is almost unheard of in metro Boston with the few exceptions of just a room for rent and these are usually not close to public transportation. I work in Boston and I know of at least two people in the same company as me that commute from Rhode Island every day to work. If they aren't saving money by staying put where they are at then I don't know what drives them to take such insanely long commutes to Boston.

[jayrandom]

To the question "do salaries compensate the higher cost of living?" in Boston the answer is a resounding no. The real question should be "is Boston worth the lower relative salary?" That's a question you'll have to answer for yourself.

That's on the average, at least. Some people will make enough more in Boston to more than justify the cost of living here. Most won't, though.

[scoobydew]

Originally Posted by Urban Peasant

Perhaps not. I checked Providence's rentals a few years ago and you could still find single rooms in shared apartments for circa $650 including utilities. That is almost unheard of in metro Boston with the few exceptions of just a room for rent and these are usually not close to public transportation. I work in Boston and I know of at least two people in the same company as me that commute from Rhode Island every day to work. If they aren't saving money by staying put where they are at then I don't know what drives them to take such insanely long commutes to Boston.

Yes. You can buy condos for a song in Providence, and you can rent 1BR apartments for under a grand. Jobs are hard to find but if you're working in Boston that's not an issue.

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by scoobydew

Yes. You can buy condos for a song in Providence, and you can rent 1BR apartments for under a grand. Jobs are hard to find but if you're working in Boston that's not an issue.

Sure. Then you add on $330/month for a commuter rail pass and lose 4-5 hours a day commuting. On top of that, if you're a high earner, RI's income tax is higher than MA.

[scoobydew]

Originally Posted by Dm84

Sure. Then you add on $330/month for a commuter rail pass and lose 4-5 hours a day commuting. On top of that, if you're a high earner, RI's income tax is higher than MA.

Many people have spent close to that 330 bucks on gas commuting around Mass when gar prices have been high, and they have had to do the driving. And, you'll be hard pressed to get a decent sized 1BR unit anywhere in Boston for under 1400 even in Dorchester, but you can get one in Providence for well under a grand. A Providence commute does not take 4-5 hours out of your day if you are working proximate to the train station.

Nobody here said it has to be an option for YOU, but a lot of people are doing it for a variety of reasons they find advantageous. This becomes especially true when you own a nice piece of property and live in a diverse affordable city that offers a decent life (similar to what Boston once was) and some decent down to earth working class people to socialize with. I like Providence people in general, and I like Providence.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by jayrandom

To the question "do salaries compensate the higher cost of living?" in Boston the answer is a resounding no. The real question should be "is Boston worth the lower relative salary?" That's a question you'll have to answer for yourself.

That's on the average, at least. Some people will make enough more in Boston to more than justify the cost of living here. Most won't, though.

Definitely agree with the "resounding 'NO' " part. Financially, you can do much better in many other places around the country. Money simply doesn't stretch very far here...

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by scoobydew

Many people have spent close to that 330 bucks on gas commuting around Mass when gar prices have been high, and they have had to do the driving. And, you'll be hard pressed to get a decent sized 1BR unit anywhere in Boston for under 1400 even in Dorchester, but you can get one in Providence for well under a grand. A Providence commute does not take 4-5 hours out of your day if you are working proximate to the train station.

The absolute best case scenario is 75 minutes of travel time each way on the train itself, which hasn't been achieved in weeks (even in good weather the trains are often delayed). But as you say, you would have to live and work right next to the train station for that to even be remotely feasible.

Nobody here said it has to be an option for YOU, but a lot of people are doing it for a variety of reasons they find advantageous. This becomes especially true when you own a nice piece of property and live in a diverse affordable city that offers a decent life (similar to what Boston once was) and some decent down to earth working class people to socialize with. I like Providence people in general, and I like Providence.

I like Providence too, but not as an option for someone commuting to Boston every day. Obviously anyone is free to do what they want. I'm just throwing out the disclaimer that the daily commute is rough and by the time you add up the cost of travel (time, stress, and money), it may not be as attractive as it sounds on paper.

[anonemu]

As someone who moved from Boston to Seattle around a year and a half ago, the answer is most certainly no. I make 20% more in a similar company and similar role with no state income taxes and cost of living that's a decent bit lower. I stay in the heart of the city in a large 1bd with covered garage parking and W/D in unit for 1495$/month. I was paying 1657$/month in fricking Waltham when I left.

Honestly my quality of life has improved significantly since moving here. Oh and I definitely don't miss the winters

[scoobydew]

Originally Posted by Dm84

The absolute best case scenario is 75 minutes of travel time each way on the train itself, which hasn't been achieved in weeks (even in good weather the trains are often delayed). But as you say, you would have to live and work right next to the train station for that to even be remotely feasible.

I like Providence too, but not as an option for someone commuting to Boston every day. Obviously anyone is free to do what they want. I'm just throwing out the disclaimer that the daily commute is rough and by the time you add up the cost of travel (time, stress, and money), it may not be as attractive as it sounds on paper.

Yeah, I added a similar disclaimer about commute to my original response. Also, LOTS of people do the commute so it works for LOTS of people, and can be a viable option. Obviously not for you , but for others it can be and that's why it was mentioned.

[bigfatdude]

Definitely not - I know plenty of people making over $75k (which would allow you to live like a king pretty much anywhere other than NYC/LA/SF) still living with roommates due to absolutely insane rents, and $75k is actually considered a decent salary around here.