There are so many things that bring people to the Treasure Valley: The beauty of the outdoors, the booming economy and the lower cost of living have made Boise home to people who may not have otherwise even thought about moving here.  Wait... did I just say lower cost of living?  If you’ve lived here for a long time, you will probably disagree with that, but according to BestPlaces.net, even with the soaring average home price now coming in over $300,000, Boise is just 3.6% above the national average in the total cost of living index.  At 3.6% above average, it’s no wonder people from California are moving here at the rate that they are.  Here’s a comparison of some select cities and how they compare to Boise: 

 

Seattle, Washington 

The cost of living in Seattle is almost 40% more than it is in Boise.  To put that in perspective, if you made $50,000 annually in the Emerald City, you would only need to make $26,152 per year to maintain the same quality of life in Boise. 

Portland, Oregon 

The cost of living in Portland is just over 20% higher than Boise, so if you made $50,000 per year in the City of Roses, you would need a little more than $30,000 to maintain your Rip City quality of life in Boise. 

San Francisco, California 

This is pretty extreme!  The cost of living in the Golden Gate City is over 61% more than in Boise.  If you made $50,000 per year in the City by the Bay, you would only need to make $17,510 per year to maintain your quality of life in the Treasure Valley. 

Sacramento, California 

Sactown has been able to keep their cost of living down compared to other California cities, but it is still in California which means it's still expensive.  The cost of living in the Big Tomato is only 12.6% higher than Boise, so if you made $50,000 per year there, you’d need to make $41,848 per year here. 

Los Angeles, California 

Randy Newman’s song, “I Love LA,” never mentioned the cost of living.  That’s probably because it costs 40% more to live in the city of Angels than it does in Boise.  If you made $50,000 annually in La La Land, you’d only need to make $27,345 per year to continue your movie star lifestyle. 

San Diego, California 

Staying classy on the beach with good weather almost all year long in a place that calls itself “America’s Finest City” is nice, but it costs money.  San Diego is a little 35% more expensive to live in than Boise, so an annual salary of $50,000 would be equal to a $30,000 salary in the City of Trees. 

Las Vegas, Nevada 

People think that it’s cheap to live in Vegas.  As someone that’s lived there, it’s true... unless you like to gamble!  The cost of living in the Entertainment Capitol of the World is still 7% higher than Boise.  A $50,000 salary could decrease to $44,000 to maintain your showgirl lifestyle in Boise.  

Phoenix, Arizona 

Living in the hottest city in America takes its toll on your body more than your pocketbook.  The cost of living in the Valley of the Sun is almost identical to Boise, however because your car insurance, gas and auto repairs are cheaper, your $50,000 salary could drop to $47,000 here. 

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