$50K in Boston = $31,481 in Durham

Your $50K salary in Boston (COL 162) has the same purchasing power as $31,481 in Durham (COL 102). Durham is cheaper — your money goes 37% further there.

$50K in Boston, MA
$2,952/mo take-home
Rent: $3,000/mo (102% of take-home)
Difficult
$31,481/yr in Durham, NC
$2,029/mo take-home
Rent: $1,750/mo (86% of take-home)
Difficult

Budget breakdown — $50K in both cities

What $50K actually buys you in each city after taxes and core expenses.

Expense
Boston
$50K
Durham
$50K (same salary)
Monthly take-home$2,952$2,973
1BR rent$3,000$1,750
Groceries$418$372
Transport$90$82
Utilities$185$155
Internet$70$62
Left after essentials-$811/month$552/month
To match your Boston purchasing power in Durham, you'd need to earn $31,481/year (37% less than $50K). At that salary, you'd have $-392/mo left after essentials — vs $-811/mo in Boston.

Frequently asked questions

What is $50K in Boston equivalent to in Durham?

$50K in Boston (COL index 162) has the same purchasing power as $31,481 in Durham (COL index 102). That's 37% less than your current salary.

If I move from Boston to Durham keeping my $50K salary, will I be better off?

Yes. If you keep earning $50K after moving to Durham, you'd have $1,363 more per month after core expenses — because Durham is cheaper than Boston.

How is the salary equivalent calculated?

The equivalent salary is calculated by multiplying your current salary by the ratio of the two cities' overall cost of living indices: $50K × (102 ÷ 162) = $31,481. This adjusts for differences in housing, food, transport, and general cost of living.

Other salary amounts — Boston to Durham

$40K → $25,185$60K → $37,778$75K → $47,222$80K → $50,370$100K → $62,963$120K → $75,556$150K → $94,444
$50K in Durham → BostonMoving from Boston to DurhamBoston vs Durham — full comparisonCan I afford Boston vs Durham on $50K?

Equivalency uses overall COL index ratio. Take-home uses simplified federal/state brackets. Zillow · BLS · Numbeo · Q1 2026 · For general guidance only