$90,000 in Boston ≈ $77,867 in Columbia

$77,867

Purchasing-power equivalent using BEA RPP 2024 (108.3 → 93.7). BLS OEWS May 2025 wages on linked pages.

Prices in Columbia run −13.5% vs Boston for equal purchasing power at this salary level.

Boston RPP
108.3
Columbia RPP
93.7
Price gap
−13.5%
Base salary
$90,000

Prices in Columbia run −13.5% versus Boston on BEA all-items RPP (2024), so overall price levels are lower at the destination. A $90,000 paycheck in Boston maps to about $77,867 in Columbia for equal purchasing power.

Your salary

Needed in Columbia: $77,867

Live math: salary × (93.7 ÷ 108.3). Same formula as the static ladder below.

Salary needed in Columbia

In BostonIn Columbia
$60,000$51,911
$90,000$77,867
$150,000$129,778

Equivalent = origin salary × (93.7 ÷ 108.3). Adjust the base with the slider above.

Price level components

ComponentBostonColumbiaUS
All items108.393.7100
Goods99.796.3100
Housing (rents)148.479.5100
Other services103.698.3100

BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, US = 100. Housing is rents; utilities omitted in this view.

Wages in both metros

OccupationBostonColumbiaDest. middle halfDest. OEWS emp.Gap
Architectural and Engineering Managers$205,130$162,260$134,360 to $190,060360−20.9%
Computer and Information Systems Managers$214,960$141,570$104,490 to $183,990990−34.1%
Marketing Managers$213,910$136,930$104,420 to $183,410560−36.0%
Sales Managers$206,610$128,650$80,980 to $167,5601,360−37.7%
Financial Managers$209,780$124,790$97,450 to $172,4901,800−40.5%
Managers, All Other$184,250$129,960$90,610 to $164,520410−29.5%
Human Resources Managers$184,990$109,440$81,320 to $144,080460−40.8%
Software Developers$166,090$123,380$90,120 to $148,2302,070−25.7%

BLS OEWS May 2025 metro medians where published for both CBSAs. Employment is OEWS published employment, not job openings.

FAQ

What salary do I need in Columbia to match $90,000 in Boston?
About $77,867, based on BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) of 108.3 and 93.7. Formula: salary × (RPP_destination / RPP_origin). Not financial advice.
What do goods, housing, and other RPP components mean?
BEA publishes component indexes alongside all-items RPP. Goods covers merchandise prices; housing (rents) covers rents; other services covers remaining services. All are indexed to US = 100 for the same vintage year.
How do OEWS wages relate to this comparison?
BLS OEWS (May 2025) publishes occupation medians by metro. The wage bridge shows jobs with published medians in both metros, plus middle-half bands and OEWS employment where available. RPP adjusts purchasing power; OEWS reports pay.
Does this include taxes or benefits?
No. PayByCity does not model income taxes, childcare, healthcare premiums, or leave. Use the figures as a price-level starting point, not a take-home or total-rewards calculator.

What this covers

Includes

  • BEA Regional Price Parities (all items, goods, housing rents, other services)
  • BLS OEWS median wages, percentile bands, and employment where published
  • Purchasing-power math: salary × (destination RPP ÷ origin RPP)

Does not include

  • Federal, state, or local income taxes
  • Childcare, healthcare premiums, or leave benefits
  • Job openings. OEWS employment is a published stock estimate, not hiring demand

See methodology and disclaimer.