What kind of salary to make this [AL to MA] move equal?

Submitted by thehuntforrednov t3_10h4kgt in boston

---- Edit 1/29/2023 ----

I got a lot of good advice, and wanted to update this in case someone in the future sees this with a similar question. There are tons of good areas to look for apartments in the comments of this post, and neat little quirks I wasn't expecting. Just generally good advice and I appreciated all the answers.

From a purely financial perspective it's kind of easy to do. You need to figure how much your cost of living is going to go up, and then factor in income tax to see where that lands you. I am going from ~$1,000 per month in a mortgage to likely $3,000 for rent. This is a difference of 2000 per month / 24,000 per year. 24,000 per year after tax translates to about $37,000 in salary. The rest of the costs are similar enough that I don't think they'll move the needle all that much. With my current salary of $115,000 I will need to look for jobs that pay $152,000 to be equal. Another way to look at this same number is saying for every additional $1 in monthly cost of living you should make ~$20 (really $18.5 but that's annoying to remember) more in yearly salary.

Obviously, there are pros and cons to every location on Earth so that has to matter to you as well in the decision making process, but that's too much of a personal answer for me to give any advice there.

---- Original Post ----

I know this kind of question gets asked a lot. I try being helpful with these kinds of questions in my local subreddit so hopefully a few of you can help me. I searched and got some ideas, but I still would like a 'personalized' version of that info. I'll try to make it easy.

Destination: Somewhere near a hybrid job in Lexington, MA.

Living Arrangement: An apartment is fine I don't need/want another single-family home.

Who: me + girlfriend that makes about 70% what I do.

Age: 30

Children: None, no plans to have any.

Salary: $115,000 in AL

Mortgage: $900 monthly (includes insurance and property tax)

Price of a reasonably 'nice' lunch: $12-15

So, what's a reasonable salary to expect in order to make this with no huge quality of life changes? I see median income is 97k for Lexington, whereas I'm moving from 39k...so just based on that I'm thinking a big number. If I haven't provided enough info let me know what I'm missing?

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Rabl t1_j56hviq wrote

I spent a few years living in Birmingham. Cost of living here is staggeringly higher. Even for a (by Alabama standards) small condo, you're looking at $2000—$3000 month all-in (and that's assuming you can put a reasonable amount down). You'd probably need to look at $175–200K to match that $115K in AL.

As for quality of life, the BBQ up here is terrible, but just about everything else is better.

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TywinShitsGold t1_j56jz3i wrote

Seriously. OP makes $110k in Alabama with a $900 mortgage. Rent alone is gonna be $2500. Move in ready house 600-800k+ and still be a downgrade.

OP should be looking at $200+ for equal (but better schools)

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thehuntforrednov OP t1_j56lehi wrote

>OP should be looking at $200+ for equal (but better schools)

Thanks. That's kinda what I was suspecting. ~ 60-70% 'raise' to be equal.

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thehuntforrednov OP t1_j56l874 wrote

>As for quality of life, the BBQ up here is terrible, but just about everything else is better.

Why did this kill me lmao

Thanks for the info!

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ginasaurus-rex t1_j570vzh wrote

I'm from Birmingham and now live in Western Mass. I can confirm this. Also a sad lack of authentic Mexican food, but there are hidden gems occasionally.

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thehuntforrednov OP t1_j575m0a wrote

> Also a sad lack of authentic Mexican food

This is the worst news of the entire thread. This is a staple of my current diet.

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Junior_Emotion5681 t1_j57jzjb wrote

As a Mexican myself yup, I second this.

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Arctucrus t1_j58rr7i wrote

I recommend Taqueria Mexico! There's one tucked away just outside Waltham Center

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imustachelemeaning t1_j58vwha wrote

we have good mexican, run by mexicans and goods bbq run by geniuses. we just don’t post it or talk about it because we like to eat there unencumbered. source: former manager at a mexican restaurant where ex mexican presidents dine when they visit boston and former bartender at a bbq place where we don’t talk about it. bostonians rarely talk about things they truly love. we don’t ruin our places.

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thehuntforrednov OP t1_j5a3n94 wrote

I didn't realize I had posted in r/gatekeeping! Thanks for the info.

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imustachelemeaning t1_j5a8t4y wrote

you didn’t. it’s okay to learn something different without using trigger words. take the time to know a city before criticizing their cuisine without knowing such.

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Forsaken-Garlic4818 t1_j580oeq wrote

Yeah, because you live in Western Mass. There is plenty of good authentic Mexican food in the city proper and around it (Revere etc).

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ginasaurus-rex t1_j5817j2 wrote

Oh for sure. Sorry I wasn’t trying to imply there aren’t good spots. It’s just not on every street corner the way it is in Birmingham.

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Russiasucks_6969 t1_j57o6wb wrote

The BBQ is horrible but they’re right, most everything else is great.

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albertogonzalex t1_j59pzzo wrote

We do sacrifice tasty, low and slow cooked meats for things like elections with minimal voting suppression.

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Rabl t1_j5a05vo wrote

Along with vastly superior public education and healthcare systems, public transit that will at least occasionally get you from where you are to where you want to go, and all four seasons (instead of almost summer, summer, still summer, and mud).

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EnvironmentalGoose2 t1_j56ewnk wrote

A combined income of ~200k will be more than enough to live in a very comfortable apartment in Lexington, meet your savings goals, with probably enough left over to have a healthy entertainment budget as well.

The median income in many of Bostons western suburbs is high compared to the north or south shores. You’ll still be able to live very comfortably with what you say you’re making.

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Pinwurm t1_j56jiby wrote

According to Nerdwallet, you will need $208,166 in Boston dollars to make the equivalent of $115,000.

Cost of living is going to be highly variable based on the area. Your mortgage is $900, which in most cases less than the cost of a bedroom in a shared apartment with roommates. And an average studio apartment in Boston is around $2,100 right now.

Lexington will be cheaper, since it's about 15 miles out. But be prepared for sticker shock and significantly reduced space. Expect $2,000-$2,500 for a 1 bedroom in that area.

Everything will be more expensive. Food, car insurance, utilities, etc. Remember that we have winter here - so you'll need to purchase winter gear as well.

I would recommend living and working on the same side of the Charles River. My top recommendation for you would be Medford. It's very safe, has a walkable town center with plenty to do and great food. You can reasonably own a car (I recommend only having one car between you and your partner) - and the drive to Lexington is less than a half hour. There is an Orange Line T-Station to get you in and out of Boston proper for fun & games without having to deal with parking.

If you want something more urban & exciting, Somerville is great - particularly Davis Square. Some great nightlife, music & arts, hipster bars & restaurants, and Red Line access to get you into Cambridge & Boston for additional fun. Plus, only about a half-hour to Lexington by car.

If these places are too expensive and subway access isn't important to you, then look at Lexington itself, Belmont, or Waltham. Go West of Lexington for more rural.

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thehuntforrednov OP t1_j56m9ih wrote

Thank you so much for all of that wonderful info, I appreciate it. That 200k number keeps popping up so that may be my new target.

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[deleted] t1_j56mjek wrote

I don't think "lunch" is gonna be what tips the scales

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thehuntforrednov OP t1_j56osjx wrote

Nor do I, but it helps get a feel for the day-to-day cost of living.

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oliviajoon t1_j56sfci wrote

honestly just look up the address of your prospective job and zoom out a bit on google maps and start clicking on restaurants in the area. look at their menus to get an idea of what a “nice” lunch would cost you at those places (theres quite a range depending on how much food you consider filling or if we’re talking takeout vs sit-down)

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WinsingtonIII t1_j56p9yj wrote

Day to day cost of living will be more expensive here but the cost of housing will be by far the biggest difference. TBH I can definitely get a reasonably nice lunch around here for the price you listed if we’re talking take out. Sit down would be a bit more expensive than that though.

Others are correct that depending on how big of an apartment/house you want your mortgage here would be more like $2,000-$3,000 per month as opposed to $900.

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Open_Concentrate962 t1_j59q8t6 wrote

Just wanted to compliment the nuance in the question. It was a better form of a common question and thus got better responses.

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thehuntforrednov OP t1_j5a4nut wrote

I'm really pleased with all of the responses! All but one or two were very helpful, and I attribute those to being, well... reddit. lol

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[deleted] t1_j56q8w0 wrote

Just wait til you get your first gas/electric heat bill.

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bobby_j_canada t1_j570dgv wrote

It's probably kind of a wash since you no longer the have "running the AC during Alabama summers" cost.

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[deleted] t1_j573jam wrote

Summer AC use in New England is no joke - and electricity rates won't be going down next summer either.

Alabama's standard rate is ~$0.13/kWh (source), & they have time of use plans which ISO-NE doesn't allow so the OP may be paying even less. The best you'll find in MA is around $0.20/kWh. And if they wind up with gas or oil heat...yikes. Usage may well be a wash, but the total bill won't.

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bobby_j_canada t1_j57addm wrote

I grew up here and didn't even have A/C until I was like 25 years old. I maybe use it 20 days a year (mostly at night) when it's really brutal in July/August.

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singalong37 t1_j577dzx wrote

Lexington, Lincoln, Weston, Concord, Carlisle, Bedford are all very expensive, mainly single-family house communities. Nice to visit— lots of open space, beautiful country roads—but no need to live in any of those. Burlington, just across Rte 3 from Bedford, is much less rarified and has apartments. Similarly, Wilmington, Billerica and Woburn. Waltham, south of Lex, has apartments too and a bigger, more walkable center than any of those other towns. Closer to/in Boston you pay for the access and walkability which you don’t need for the job, but might be worth it for other reasons.

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leeann0923 t1_j579075 wrote

If you’re in your early 30s and don’t plan on having kids (or even not having kids right now), I wouldn’t live directly in Lexington. It’s extremely expensive and unless you are moving for the school district, isn’t worth it. If you want more amenities/city life, I’d consider Waltham. You can live comfortably there and have train access to Boston proper and have a ton of bars/restaurants/other people without kids to keep yourself busy. The commute to Lexington from there would not be bad.

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TiredPistachio t1_j56epv8 wrote

Housing is going to be the single biggest cost increase. Do you want to live IN boston or suburbs or rural town? We'd need to know that to really comment. The price difference would be quite large between boston and say ashburnham.

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thehuntforrednov OP t1_j56foii wrote

>Do you want to live IN boston or suburbs or rural town?

I'm fine with either, to be honest. I wouldn't mind renting 'rural' at first and then moving towards the city after the first lease runs out. My only requirement is close enough to Lexington to commute a couple times a week. I don't know the geography/traffic well enough to know how far that would allow me to move away.

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twowrist t1_j56jnsk wrote

Do you know whether the job is inside or outside 128/95? Hanscom is outside but most of the town is inside.

Waltham is an obvious choice. Somerville might work, but I’m not that familiar with the reverse commute it would take. Burlington may or may not be out of your desired price range. Many people do commute to Hanscom from Billerica. I’m not sure about Woburn or Acton, though people hate the Concord Rotary (with good reason) and that’s how most Acton traffic goes. It’s not a horrible commute, just that the rotary is stressful, annoying, and often backed up.

Just so you know, Lexington, Bedford, Concord, and Carlisle are all fine suburbs, but they’re at the expensive end.

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TiredPistachio t1_j56luuk wrote

>, Lexington, Bedford, Concord, and Carlisle are all fine suburbs, but they’re at the expensive end.

Yeah using lexington median income as an indicator of what you shoudl be making compared to alabama might not exactly be fair.

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thehuntforrednov OP t1_j56m03g wrote

> Just so you know, Lexington, Bedford, Concord, and Carlisle are all fine suburbs, but they’re at the expensive end.

Thank you.

> Do you know whether the job is inside or outside 128/95? Hanscom is outside but most of the town is inside.

No, I don't know for sure. I do know it's likely near Hanscom AFB based on the kind of job.

I won't do a 5 commuting day a week job again, but once or twice a week I don't mind some of a commute.

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BurritoSlayer117 t1_j56ov3u wrote

Maybe Malden would be a good option for you , close to Boston with some transit but you can still dodge all the traffic and 30min to Lexington. A lot of nice condos out there.

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BsFan t1_j56kgxb wrote

You should be fine with that. Lexington is a super nice town but there isn't a lot to do there. If you had kids I would say go Lexington all the way, but Waltham is right down the road and has a lot more to do better restaurants etc. Moody street is super fun.

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slkp1 t1_j56ppxv wrote

If you’re going to be near Lexington expect rent prices to be $2k-$3k plus depending on size/bedrooms/updates etc.

Don’t know what you’re debt situation is like with monthly repayments but I think between the two of you for a half decent apartment, being able to afford “nice” lunches, and meet other monthly payments you guys both combined need to bring in a min of $200k and even then you might feel like you’re living pay check to pay check if you have other costly expenses.

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OutlawCozyJails t1_j570p9n wrote

Get ready for pro sports my man. The Boston College Eagles are the biggest D1 football program and let’s just say that…they’re different than you’re used to. And did you say $900 mortgage?? That’s you and each of your 3 roommates’ portions, right?

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thehuntforrednov OP t1_j574rtf wrote

>The Boston College Eagles are the biggest D1 football program and let’s just say that…they’re different than you’re used to

I thought you were implying that Boston College was a competitive team for a second and I couldn't process it. haha I'm, surprisingly, not a big college football fan. I won't name names but I am pretty big fans of certain sports teams near Boston so that's cool.

>And did you say $900 mortgage?? That’s you and each of your 3 roommates’ portions, right?

Ha! It's really $860, but I didn't want to come across SUPER poor. ;)

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TheSpaceman1975 t1_j5a0ec7 wrote

There is actually an amazing BBQ place in Lexington! blue Ribbon.

But otherwise, yes you’re gonna need over $200k to live comparably in Lexington area. $115k w/ a $900 mortgage seemingly means you are living somewhat well off in AL. $115k is Lexington means you can’t buy a single house in that town.

Otherwise, MA is an amazing place to live. Compared to AL schools you’ll be giving your kids a gift by having them attend MA schools compared to AL.

Also, Lexington voter 70% in favor of Biden. Not that Biden is anything great, but it is great that there is very little to no MAGA. That is reason alone to get out of AL.

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dante662 t1_j5bli7n wrote

Blue ribbon is in Arlington, isn't it?

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TheSpaceman1975 t1_j5blphp wrote

Actually yes, good catch. But maybe only a mile or less from the line. Great spot!

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twowrist t1_j56ju3i wrote

To be clear, you’re currently making $115K, and your girlfriend in the ballpark of $70K?

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thehuntforrednov OP t1_j56mi1h wrote

Yes. We make almost exactly $200k combined in Alabama.

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twowrist t1_j56p0k3 wrote

You’d be fine with that income in this area, and I assume that any offer would be noticeably more than that. So I’d suggest asking again, but giving the type of career and how many years experience in the career. You should be putting more emphasis on what’s a fair salary than on how much you need to get by.

Do be aware that much of the housing stock is older, and hence smaller than what you might be used to. Pay attention to what parking is like, since you can’t assume there will be dedicated parking for two cars. Also, dogs can be an issue for renting.

Since you asked about lunch, I’ll throw in that I get takeout from a small vegetarian fast-casual chain called Clover, and their sandwiches and platters start around $11-13. But they change their menu regularly to match locally available produce, and it’s generally healthier food than you’d get at most sandwich shops. I don’t honestly know what prices are like at McDs or Subway these days.

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thehuntforrednov OP t1_j56pcmg wrote

>Since you asked about lunch, I’ll throw in that I get takeout from a small vegetarian fast-casual chain called Clover, and their sandwiches and platters start around $11-13.

Thank you. The concept of a vegetarian chain is absolutely unheard of where e I'm from. We've got enough fried chicken to kill...well kill a human pretty quickly from heart disease.

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bobby_j_canada t1_j5727ii wrote

For a couple it kind of goes like this around here:

$50K - hope you like rice and beans

$75K - you're stable. . . ish

$100K - you have some breathing room but don't get careless

$150K - you're comfortable enough and can even afford some luxuries (like off-street parking and an in-unit washer/dryer. . . luxuries!)

$200K+ - you don't really need to worry about much but you might not be saving as much as you'd assume you should be given your income

So yeah, for you two the main impact isn't going to be on your quality of living so much as how much you'll be able to save.

Also note that if you plan on having a kid anytime soon, $2000/month for a private childcare is pretty common. MA has the highest childcare costs in the country because we have strict regulations about the caregiver:child ratio and square footage:child ratio. These aren't bad things in and of themselves -- it means you don't get cramped, small daycares crammed with too many kids -- but it does drive up the cost per kid.

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thehuntforrednov OP t1_j575g8e wrote

Thanks for that income breakdown, I'd kind of like to go car-free but I'm not sold on that idea either. I'm gathering we're probably going to want to have about 250k or so of combined income.

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bobby_j_canada t1_j579p3m wrote

I'd say you're pretty much looking at $25-30K of extra cost of living, most of that being housing. So even with "only" $225K (lol) you wouldn't notice a huge change in your standard of living.

The car-free thing depends on where exactly you want to live. You really need to live in the core areas (most of Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and specific neighborhoods of Brookline, Revere, Newton, and Malden) for it to be feasible.

One option is going "car light" and signing up for Zipcar or one of those services. Then you can rent a car in your neighborhood at an hourly or daily rate whenever you need one, without having to deal with the hassle of parking, mechanics, etc.

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wurkbank t1_j57vhi6 wrote

You can’t go car-free in Lexington, but if you can walk/bike to work you can get by with one car.

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Redz4u t1_j56m8og wrote

Look into Watertown near the new assembly complex

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Yak_Rodeo t1_j56nv7x wrote

dont forget heating costs. coming from alabama youre probably going to crank up the heat during the winter and you will be paying quite a bit for that

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wintersicyblast t1_j58m8j2 wrote

The cost of living in or around Lexington might give you a small heart attack :) Lexington, Concord,, Andover, Arlington, Cambridge. Wayland...all pricey... but really nice places to live.

Maybe Waltham.

200,000+

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alexblablabla1123 t1_j5aej74 wrote

You don’t have to live in Lexington, which is one of the top school district here. Median home sale price is $1.3m in December. Nearby Burlington and Woburn are much cheaper and extremely livable.

Aside from housing, other stuff are not much more expensive. Cars maybe due to local demand and the freaking weather. Freaking waitlist to get a Toyota/Honda at mrsp here.

Food no idea. The southernmost city I’ve lived in is Columbus OH.

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Victor_Korchnoi t1_j5e3xbu wrote

There are a lot of cost of living calculators around that will tell you that you Boston is 66% more expensive than Birmingham, which would say you need 191k. However, in my experience calculators like these break down for higher income people like yourself.

If you aren’t spending all of your salary, not all of your salary needs to be multiplied by the % change in COL.

It will depend on your personal finances, but I bet you will end up with more savings making 150-160 here than you were making 115 in AL. Your house will be smaller here, but a lot of other things (including schools) will be much nicer.

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chudmcdudly t1_j5g4w2h wrote

Cost of living in Birmingham AL is 1% below the national average.

Lexington MA is 150% above the national average.

Roughly 2-2.5x the AL salary is what you should need according to those stats

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LadyGreyIcedTea t1_j5hnf84 wrote

You're not getting housing in eastern MA for $900/month. Or anything close to that. I was paying $950 for a studio apartment in Brighton in 2007. That same apartment was last rented for $1625 last year based on what I see on Zillow.

Also what's a "reasonably nice lunch"? Because $12-$15 might get you a sandwich up here.

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Narrow-Ad-440 t1_j57dfzb wrote

Does it even matter? Any opportunity to move out of Alabama is good enough IMO!

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