$120K Can Still Feel Middle-Class in These 3 Coastal Cities
Living in an expensive coastal city can make a high earner feel less affluent than their income suggests after calculating expenses.
After high rents and HOA fees, climbing food costs, insurance premiums and travel costs can take a big chunk out of your salary. After considering these factors, earning $120,000 in these coastal cities can make you feel middle-class.
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Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica offers oceanfront living with stunning beaches, mountain views and fine dining. However, the city’s housing market can put pressure on high-salary earners. The average monthly rent in Santa Monica is $3,495 and the median home value is $1,685,560. However, if you live in the prime neighborhood north of Montana, the median home value is $4,965,225.
That doesn’t take into account property taxes, maintenance, childcare costs and other expenses. For a single adult, food costs $4,463 annually; $6,547 for one child; $9,810 for two children; $13,056 for three; and two working adults without children can expect to pay $8,183, according to the MIT's living wage calculator.
Drivers pay an average of $4,201 annually for full coverage car insurance, according to Insure —and that doesn’t include the price of gas being stuck in traffic for hours. Travel adds another expense to the mix, with domestic fares averaging $459.79 in the first quarter of 2026 before fare increases, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). This doesn’t consider international flights, which are much higher. With all these costs, a $120,000 salary leans toward the middle class.
San Francisco
San Francisco offers high salaries but some of the steepest recurring costs in housing, insurance and travel. The average monthly rent for someone living in the city is $4,500. The median home value is $1,395,852; however, homes in the Buena Vista neighborhood average $1,395,852, up 11% year over year.
Yearly food expenses average $5,807 for an adult without children and much higher for two adults with children, according to MIT data.
According to Insure, drivers in the city pay an average of $3,466 per year for insurance in the Golden City and domestic airfare from San Francisco International Airport averaged $476.89 for one passenger at the beginning of the year, according to the BTS.
Before parking, healthcare, utilities, entertainment and other costs, a high salary can feel less affluent here than in other cities.
Boston
With Boston’s prestigious universities, hospitals, financial corporations and biotech firms, this coastal city draws well-paid professionals. However, earning a high salary doesn’t eliminate the city’s elevated living expenses.
Renting costs an average of $3,400 per month and the median sale price in this city is $787,763. However, if you want to buy a home downtown, you can pay an average of $1,285,992.
According to MIT's living wage calculator, food costs about $5,141 for one adult without children in Suffolk County, where the majority of Boston is located. Car insurance in ‘Beantown’ average $2,937 and domestic flights from average $419.73, per Insure. However, if you’re willing to drive one hour and 49 minutes, you can find fares averaging $399.56 at Bradley Airport in Hartford, Connecticut.
Per The Hill, earning a salary of $120,000 can appear upper class, but after factoring in expenses, it can make living in a coastal city feel closer to the middle.
Editor's note: All monthly rents and home values were sourced from Zillow.com.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.