Average Rent in Boston (2026)
The median asking rent for a 1-bedroom in Boston is $2,700 as of July 2026, based on verified active listings across Spot Easy — $50 less than the Greater Boston median of $2,750.
↻ Updated monthly · data as of July 2026
How much is rent in Boston?
Spot Easy's July 2026 index for Boston, against the Greater Boston median for each size: studios $2,270 (−$25), 1-bedrooms $2,700 (−$50), 2-bedrooms $3,300 (−$95), 3-bedrooms $3,798 (−$102), 4+ bedrooms $4,995 (−$5).
| Apartment size | Median rent | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,270 | $2,025 – $2,500 |
| 1 Bedroom | $2,700 | $2,395 – $3,100 |
| 2 Bedroom | $3,300 | $2,825 – $3,950 |
| 3 Bedroom | $3,798 | $3,300 – $4,600 |
| 4+ Bedroom | $4,995 | $4,100 – $6,000 |
Typical range = where the middle 50% of listings fall — a quarter rent for less, a quarter for more.
How Boston rent compares to Greater Boston
A 1-bedroom in Boston runs $50 less than the Greater Boston median of $2,750 — about 2% below the metro average.
| Apartment size | Boston | Greater Boston | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $2,270 | $2,295 | −$25 |
| 1 Bedroom | $2,700 | $2,750 | −$50 |
| 2 Bedroom | $3,300 | $3,395 | −$95 |
| 3 Bedroom | $3,798 | $3,900 | −$102 |
| 4+ Bedroom | $4,995 | $5,000 | −$5 |
Half of 1-bedroom listings in Boston fall between $2,395 and $3,100 — budget-end units start near the lower figure, while larger or renovated units push toward the upper end and beyond.
Is it cheaper to rent a studio or split a 2-bedroom in Boston?
Renting a studio solo runs about $2,270. Splitting a 2-bedroom two ways works out to $1,650 per person — roughly $620/month cheaper than going solo (27% savings).
How many Boston apartments have no broker fee?
81.3% of Boston listings with a stated fee have no broker fee. That's above the Greater Boston average of 79.4% — renters here tend to have more no-fee options than most areas.
Browse no-fee listings in BostonWhen to start your Boston apartment search
Most Greater Boston leases turn over on September 1, and Boston is no exception. Inventory builds through late spring and early summer for fall move-ins, then tightens sharply in August as students and young professionals lock in leases. If you're targeting a September 1 start, the strongest selection is usually six to eight weeks out; for other move-in dates, listings refresh year-round but the best ones move within days. Spot Easy refreshes these Boston numbers every month so you can time your search to the live market.
A 1-bedroom in Boston runs $200 less than neighboring Cambridge and $100 more than neighboring Somerville.
Nearby neighborhoods: Cambridge · Somerville · Brookline
Boston rent — frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest Greater Boston neighborhood for a 1-bedroom?
Of the 18 Greater Boston areas Spot Easy publishes, Allston has the lowest median asking rent for a 1-bedroom at $2,380 as of July 2026.
What are these Boston rent figures based on?
Every Boston listing active on Spot Easy during July 2026 — not a sample, an estimate or a modelled figure. We take the median of advertised asking rents after removing duplicate postings of the same unit and excluding anything below $500 or above $20,000 a month. A bedroom size is published only where it has at least 20 active listings in the month, so a size with thin inventory is left blank rather than shown as a number we would not stand behind.
How does Spot Easy calculate Boston rent figures?
Median asking rent is the middle advertised price — half of listings ask more, half ask less. Spot Easy takes every listing active in Boston during July 2026, removes drafts, admin-removed listings and asking rents below $500 or above $20,000, de-duplicates by address and unit, and reports the median for each bedroom size with at least 20 listings. These are asking rents, not signed-lease prices.
How we calculate this
Each month Spot Easy snapshots every active listing across Greater Boston, excludes drafts, admin-removed listings, and asking rents below $500 or above $20,000, dedupes by address + unit, and normalizes bedroom counts into Studio / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4+. We require at least 20 active listings in a cell before publishing its median; thinner cells are suppressed. Figures are median asking rents, not signed-lease prices.
Sample sizes for July 2026 (N): Studio 1499 · 1BR 3019 · 2BR 3003 · 3BR 1604 · 4+BR 1181.
Press or custom data pulls: [email protected].
These figures are free to republish with attribution to Spot Easy, under a CC BY 4.0 license.