Boise vs Los Angeles Cost of Living
Los Angeles is approximately 22.0% more expensive than Boise. See salary equivalence, taxes, and side-by-side breakdown.
Boise, ID
Los Angeles, CA
| Salary in Boise | Equivalent in Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $61,000 | +$11,000 (+22.0%) |
| $75,000 | $91,500 | +$16,500 (+22.0%) |
| $100,000 | $122,000 | +$22,000 (+22.0%) |
| $150,000 | $183,000 | +$33,000 (+22.0%) |
| $200,000 | $244,000 | +$44,000 (+22.0%) |
Los Angeles is roughly 22% more expensive overall, and housing is doing almost all of the work: a one-bedroom runs $1,250 in Boise against $2,300 in Los Angeles.
Housing does most of the damage
Almost the entire gap between two cities is shelter. Tradable goods cost roughly the same everywhere; land does not. A one-bedroom runs about $1,250 a month in Boise and $2,300 in Los Angeles — $1,050 a month apart, or $12,600 a year.
Buying sharpens the same story. Median home prices sit near $480,000 in Boise against $950,000 in Los Angeles — at 20% down, about $94,000 apart in cash up front, before property tax rates in Idaho and California enter the picture.
Getting around
Boise is effectively car-dependent; Los Angeles is served by limited transit.
Work, weather, and what else is different
Boise is a smaller metro of about 0.8M and growing fast; Los Angeles is a major metro of about 12.9M and roughly flat.
These labor markets barely overlap. Boise is built around semiconductor manufacturing, technology, healthcare (Micron Technology (headquarters), St. Luke's Health System), Los Angeles around entertainment/media, international trade & logistics, aerospace (Walt Disney Company, Netflix). Your experience may not read as relevant on the other end — secure an offer before you move.
The part spreadsheets leave out. Boise: Semi-arid: January highs near 38°F/lows 26°F, July highs near 91°F/lows 61°F, dry with cold winters and hot summers. Los Angeles: Mild Mediterranean climate: January lows near 48°F, July highs near 84°F, minimal rainfall most of the year.
One of the fastest-growing mid-size metros in the US over the past decade, driven substantially by California out-migration, which pushed home prices up sharply since 2019. No city income tax, but California's top state income tax rate is 13.3% and median home prices exceed $900K, among the highest of any large US metro.
Cost indexes derive from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities; rent, home prices and local tax rates are compiled from market and municipal sources. How these are compiled and updated.
Related tools
Paycheck calculator — take-home after federal, state and local tax. Salary calculator — hourly and annual conversion. Mortgage calculator — what a home in either metro actually costs monthly. Guide: the true cost of relocating.