BOSTON - Anyone who lives in the Greater Boston area can attest to the high cost of renting or owning. New figures show it's even worse here than in bigger cities.

The real estate site Zillow teamed up with Thumbtack and released the most recent data on the unavoidable and optional "hidden" costs a homeowner will pay each year, such as maintenance, utilities, property taxes and insurance. These expenses in Boston carry the highest price tag in the country.

The national median for these costs is about $9,500, but in Boston, the total pushes $14,000. Half of homeowners can expect to pay even more and half will pay less.

The median home value in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton market is $364,900. By contrast, the Atlanta area's median value is $155,700 and the "hidden" costs are just over $8,000.

San Francisco's median home value is more than double Boston's at $738,200, while these costs are actually less, at $13,287.

The researchers were able to compile complete data on 15 markets. New York City was not included.

"Home buyers too often fixate on the sticker price or monthly mortgage payment on a house, and don't budget for the other expenses associated with ownership - which can add up quickly," said Amy Bohutinsky, Zillow's chief marketing officer, in a news release. "For example, new buyers can get really excited about having a backyard of their own for the first time, without budgeting for how they plan to maintain that space."

These details also are important for people who are moving from one metro area to another and for anyone used to living in an apartment.