Grocery Costs in Massachusetts
How much do groceries cost in Massachusetts?
A family of four in Massachusetts spends about $1,206 a month on groceries, $14,469 a year, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator's food cost estimates. That puts Massachusetts about 12% above the median state. Here is the full picture for Massachusetts households, and how to come in under it. Groceries cost more in Massachusetts than in most states: the MIT figure sits about 12% above the median state ($1,074 a month), so the planning habits below matter more here, not less.
A family of four in Massachusetts spends about $1,206 a month on groceries, $14,469 a year, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator's food cost estimates. That puts Massachusetts about 12% above the median state. Here is the full picture for Massachusetts households, and how to come in under it.
Monthly grocery costs in Massachusetts by household
| Household | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Family of four (2 adults, 2 children) | $1,206 | $14,469 |
| Family of two (2 adults) | $755 | $9,064 |
| One adult | $412 | $4,944 |
| Per person, in a family of four | $301 | $3,617 |
MIT Living Wage Calculator food estimates. MIT builds its food figures from the USDA low cost food plan and adjusts them for price levels in each state, Massachusetts included. For Massachusetts, the figures cover food made and eaten at home.
How Massachusetts compares
Groceries cost more in Massachusetts than in most states: the MIT figure sits about 12% above the median state ($1,074 a month), so the planning habits below matter more here, not less. Over a year, a family of four in Massachusetts spends about $1,582 more on groceries than the same family in the median state, which is real money in a Massachusetts family budget: roughly a month of childcare in a cheaper state, or a solid start on an emergency fund. Food is labor, land and transport priced locally, which is why the Massachusetts state line moves this number so much.
Where Massachusetts families fill the cart
In Massachusetts, the weekly shop often splits between Stop and Shop and Market Basket, with Shaw's and Star Market in the mix and Walmart pulling price shoppers toward the suburbs. That competition matters because groceries here are exempt from sales tax, so the price on the shelf is the price at the register for food you bring home. When the total still feels out of reach, SNAP through the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance is the main support, and WIC through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health covers pregnant and postpartum women and children under five. The state floor of $15.00 an hour means a full time paycheck stretches further toward food than in lower wage states, though rent still competes hard with the grocery line.
Budgeting by family size in Massachusetts instead? Massachusetts households can also start from the USDA food plan figures for a family of four and the rest of the family size tables, then run your real numbers in the grocery budget calculator. If your income is tight in Massachusetts, check the maximum SNAP benefits by household size too.
Frequently asked questions
How much do groceries cost per month in Massachusetts?
The MIT Living Wage Calculator puts food costs in Massachusetts at $1,206 a month for a family of four (two adults and two children), $14,469 a year. In Massachusetts, two adults come to $755 a month and one adult to $412 a month. The Massachusetts figures cover food prepared and eaten at home, not restaurants.
How does Massachusetts compare with other states?
Massachusetts ranks 48 of 50 states for a family of four, about 12% above the median state of $1,074 a month. The cheapest state in the MIT data is Texas at $948 a month and the most expensive is Hawaii at $1,319 a month; Massachusetts comes in at $1,206 a month.
How can I spend less than the Massachusetts figure?
Treat the Massachusetts numbers as budget benchmarks, not a floor. For a Massachusetts family, meal planning around store sales, cooking once and eating twice, and keeping a running pantry list routinely trim 10% or more. On Massachusetts's family of four figure, 10% is about $121 a month, $1,452 a year. Our grocery budget calculator helps you compare your real Massachusetts spend with this benchmark.
Keep exploring
Neighboring states in the alphabet: Maryland · Michigan
All states: grocery costs by state and family size · Tools: Grocery budget calculator · Family budget planner
Source: MIT Living Wage Calculator (livingwage.mit.edu), food cost estimates by state and household size, retrieved 2026-10-18. For Massachusetts, MIT starts from the USDA low cost food plan and adjusts for state price levels. The Massachusetts figures are planning benchmarks for food at home, not a quote for any one store.