Cost of living in Chelsea research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Chelsea is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Massachusetts, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Chelsea is 127, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Chelsea is 1.3x higher than the national average.
Chelsea ranks as the #44 cheapest in Massachusetts out of 113.
Chelsea ranks as the #5,140 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Chelsea is $383,800.
The median income in Chelsea is $64,782.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Chelsea has an overall cost of living index of 127, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Massachusetts, Chelsea has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Massachusetts's index of 143.
The standard of living in Chelsea ranks as #44 most affordable out of the 113 places we measured in Massachusetts. By definition, that implies Chelsea ranks as the #69 most expensive place in the Bay State.
For more reading on life in Chelsea, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Chelsea. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Chelsea is 128.
The Groceries index in Chelsea is 111.
The Health index in Chelsea is 123.
The Housing index in Chelsea is 142.
The Transportation index in Chelsea is 110.
The Utilities index in Chelsea is 121.
Living Expense | Chelsea | Massachusetts | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 127 | 143 | 100 | |
Services | 128 | 126 | 100 | |
Groceries | 111 | 108 | 100 | |
Health | 123 | 117 | 100 | |
Housing | 142 | 202 | 100 | |
Transportation | 110 | 114 | 100 | |
Utilities | 121 | 123 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Massachusetts, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Chelsea is $383,800.
The Median Rent in Chelsea is $1,639.
The Median Income in Chelsea is $64,782.
The Home Value To Income in Chelsea is 5.9x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Chelsea is 0.3x.
Statistic | Chelsea | Massachusetts | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $383,800 | $424,700 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,639 | $1,429 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $64,782 | $89,026 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 5.9x | 4.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.3x | 0.19x | 0.2x |
Item | Chelsea | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.0 | $1.06 |
Movie | $14.43 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $21.0 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $34.97 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $64.17 | $39.05 |
Item | Chelsea | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.74 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.64 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.27 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $4.02 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $11.16 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.29 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.3 | $2.34 |
Item | Chelsea | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $102.75 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $194.0 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $108.27 | $99.13 |
Item | Chelsea | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.19 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $64.47 | $50.07 |
Item | Chelsea | Massachusetts |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $233.87 | $167.67 |
Phone | $181.11 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Chelsea. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Boston, MA has a cost of living index of 148, 1.2x Chelsea.
Cambridge, MA has a cost of living index of 172, 1.4x Chelsea.
Newton, MA has a cost of living index of 192, 1.5x Chelsea.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Chelsea |
---|---|---|---|
Boston, MA | 672,814 | 148 | 1.2x |
Cambridge, MA | 116,892 | 172 | 1.4x |
Newton, MA | 88,647 | 192 | 1.5x |
Somerville, MA | 80,608 | 158 | 1.2x |
Malden, MA | 65,602 | 137 | 1.1x |
Brookline, MA | 62,620 | 191 | 1.5x |
Revere, MA | 60,720 | 134 | 1.1x |
Medford, MA | 60,708 | 147 | 1.2x |
Everett, MA | 48,368 | 137 | 1.1x |
Lexington, MA | 34,235 | 190 | 1.5x |