Question 1

Is Boise or Los Angeles cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Boise, ID is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $2,532/month less than in Los Angeles, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,655/mo in Boise versus $2,903/mo in Los Angeles.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Boise vs Los Angeles?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $63,000/year before tax in Boise, ID and $122,000/year in Los Angeles, CA — a difference of about $59,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Boise or Los Angeles cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Boise, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $6,908/month in Boise and $11,266/month in Los Angeles, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to Boise or Los Angeles?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Boise costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	Boise74	Los Angeles47
Est. monthly cost (single)	$3,490	$6,022
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$6,908	$11,266
Salary for comfort	$63,000/yr	$122,000/yr
Typical rent	$1,655	$2,903
Median home value	$456,000	$879,500
Median household income	$81,308	$80,366
Unemployment	3.2%	5.3%
Housing score	48	2
Jobs score	70	25
Safety score	78	47
Climate score	100	100
Amenities score	39	100
Population	235.7K	3.9M
Summer high / winter low	91° / 25°	89° / 47°

Boise, ID vs Los Angeles, CA