✦ Compare
Bordeaux vs
Boston
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Bordeaux, FR vs Boston, MA at a glance — Boston, MA is 12% more expensive than Bordeaux, FR overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $3,000/mo versus $850/mo. Top income tax: 37% vs 45%.
To keep the same standard of living in Boston, MA, you'd need
$84,250 / year
Boston, MA is 12% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Boston, MA vs Bordeaux, FR)
- Housing+52%
- Food & groceries-15%
- Transport+20%
- Utilities-14%
- Healthcare+20%
- Goods & services-9%
◎ How Bordeaux, FR and Boston, MA compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Bordeaux, FR | Boston, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 99 | 111 |
| Housing | 100 | 152 |
| Food | 106 | 90 |
| Transport | 76 | 91 |
| Utilities | 110 | 95 |
| Healthcare | 82 | 98 |
| Goods & services | 106 | 96 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $850/mo | $3,000/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $660/mo | $2,300/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $1,700/mo | $5,500/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $5,500 | $11,000 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $1,008 | $897 |
| Inexpensive meal | $16 | $22 |
| Monthly transit pass | $45 | $90 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 45% | 37% |
| VAT / sales tax | 20% | 0% |
| Social security (employee) | 22% | 7.7% |
| Corporate tax | 25% | 21% |
| Capital gains | 30% | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $2,600/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,600/mo | $1,257/mo |
| GDP per capita | $48,986 | $90,027 |
| Inflation (annual) | 0.9% | — |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Moderate | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 25 | 80 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC-5 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 63 | 62 |
| Healthcare index | 85 | 85 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 35 |
| Internet speed | 160 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 82 | 83 |
| Public transport | 76 | 75 |
| Family-friendly | 74 | 65 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | — | $460/mo |
| Life expectancy | 83 yr | 79 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +7 °C | -1 °C |
| July avg | +22 °C | +23 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 200 | 200 |
| Rainfall / year | 950 mm | 1,100 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: France vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
Good to know before you move to Bordeaux
An elegant, honey-stone city on the Garonne at the heart of France's greatest wine region — just two hours from Paris by TGV and a short hop to the Atlantic beaches. Milder and cheaper than Paris, it's become a magnet for remote workers and Parisians heading south.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- French
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Internet
- 160 Mbps
- English
- Fairly common
- Safety
- 63/100
- Climate
- ❄ 7°C · ☀ 22°C · 200 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- E · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Chartrons · Saint-Pierre · Saint-Michel · La Bastide
Good to know before you move to Boston
Historic, walkable and a global university and biotech hub — winters are long and rents are steep.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-5
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 62/100
- Climate
- ❄ -1°C · ☀ 23°C · 200 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Back Bay · Cambridge · South End
Plan your move to Bordeaux
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferWelcome Pickups
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
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Plan your move to Boston
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Parking & carWay.com
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? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Bordeaux to Boston: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Bordeaux to Boston, your cost of living will be roughly 12% more expensive. Boston’s cost-of-living index is 111 versus 99 for Bordeaux (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Bordeaux cheaper than Boston?
Boston is about 12% more expensive than Bordeaux overall — its cost-of-living index is 111 versus 99 for Bordeaux.
How much do you need to earn in Boston to live like in Bordeaux?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Bordeaux is worth about $84,250 in Boston. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Bordeaux or Boston?
United States has the lower top income-tax rate — 37% versus 45% in France.
◷ More comparisons from Bordeaux
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.