Belmont, MA vs Somerville, MA

Somerville is moderately more affordable than Belmont, with a 7.9% lower cost of living index. Belmont scores 202 compared to 187 for Somerville, where the US average is 100. This difference means residents of Belmont can expect to pay noticeably more for everyday expenses, housing, and services.

On the housing front, median rent in Belmont is $2,387/month compared to $2,468/month in Somerville — a 3% difference. Interestingly, home values tell a different story: while Belmont has cheaper rent, Somerville actually has lower median home values ($899,400 vs $1,108,800).

Median household income in Belmont is $178,188 compared to $127,056 in Somerville (+40.2%). While Belmont is more expensive, its higher salaries more than compensate — residents there may actually end up with more disposable income. Looking at affordability, residents of Belmont spend roughly 16.1% of their income on rent, less than the 23.3% in Somerville.

Climate-wise, both cities share similar average temperatures (50.5°F vs 51.9°F). Somerville receives more rainfall at 43.6" per year compared to 42.6" in Belmont.