Cost to raise a kid in Boston or NYC?

Boston is less expensive for anyone to live, but that doesn't mean it is "inexpensive".

Massachusetts has excellent schools, and that includes the public school system in many towns.

Boston is also a lot smaller than New York City, so you are comparing two very different places.

Most people do not actually live in the city in Boston, but in the surrounding suburbs which are far less citified than the boroughs of NYC.

Having kids isn't so much a financial burden as it is an emotional strain. Raising the kids involves diapers, preschools, clothing, food, transportation, activities, all of which can add anywhere from $20,000 a year to $60,000 depending on where you stand in the class structure of lower, middle, or upper class lifestyle.

Well, obviously, the cost varies because people usually spend what they can afford. There are, of course, basic things everyone has to buy for their kids, like food and clothing, but that can mean that you cook everything at home and never buy, say, leg of lamb or lobster, or it can mean that you eat out most nights. The difference in cost between those two choices can be immense. Same goes for clothes. Do you buy all of their clothes at a fancy kids' clothing store, or do you buy at thrift stores?