Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boise, ID and Edmonton

For one person, living is cheaper in Edmonton: $2,170 a month against $2,610 in Boise, ID, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Boise, ID
🇺🇸 United States
$2,610
/mo nomad
Edmonton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,170
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Boise, ID and in Edmonton

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Boise, ID and in Edmonton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,610 per month in Boise, ID vs $2,170 in Edmonton, rent included.

  • Boise, ID $2,610
  • Edmonton $2,170

A couple spends around $3,672 per month in Boise, ID vs $3,160 in Edmonton, rent included.

  • Boise, ID $3,672
  • Edmonton $3,160

A family of three spends $4,735 per month in Boise, ID vs $4,150 in Edmonton, rent included.

  • Boise, ID $4,735
  • Edmonton $4,150

Boise, ID costs about 20% more than Edmonton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Boise, ID and Edmonton sit above the global median – Boise, ID by 93%, Edmonton by 61%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Boise, ID
Edmonton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.78 $19.78
$19.45 CA$27.49
1.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.3 $71.3
$74.3 CA$105
-4.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.07 $13.07
$9.51 CA$13.45
37.43%
Cappuccino
$6.08 $6.08
$3.96 CA$5.60
53.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 $2.71
$2.30 CA$3.25
17.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.92 CA$2.71
3.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.92 $6.92
$5.52 CA$7.81
25.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.59 $6.59
$6.24 CA$8.82
5.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Boise, ID
Edmonton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.98 $0.98
$1.53 CA$2.17
-35.95%
White Bread (500g)
$3.74 $3.74
$2.11 CA$2.98
77.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.12 $6.12
$2.90 CA$4.10
111.03%
Eggs
$4.42 $4.42
$3.53 CA$4.99
25.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.09 $16.09
$10.95 CA$15.48
46.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.12 $11.12
$11.39 CA$16.11
-2.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.27 $17.27
$18.22 CA$25.76
-5.21%
Apples (1kg)
$4.96 $4.96
$4.16 CA$5.88
19.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.38 CA$1.95
27.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.02 $4.02
$4.31 CA$6.09
-6.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.80 $4.80
$3.98 CA$5.62
20.60%
Potato (1kg)
$2.88 $2.88
$2.10 CA$2.97
37.14%
Onion (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.83 CA$2.59
40.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.31 $2.31
$2.33 CA$3.30
-0.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.77 CA$2.51
36.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.10 $9.10
$13.56 CA$19.17
-32.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.82 $15.82
$11.40 CA$16.12
38.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 $2.13
$3.46 CA$4.88
-38.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 $3.33
$2.83 CA$4.00
17.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Boise, ID
Edmonton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 $1.52
$2.61 CA$3.68
-41.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.35 $41.35
$70.0 CA$99.0
-40.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.59 $2.59
$2.81 CA$3.98
-7.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 $1.47
$1.34 CA$1.89
9.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.87 $23.87
$21.32 CA$30.14
11.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 $1.16
$1.12 CA$1.58
3.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.6K $36.6K
$27.4K CA$38.7K
33.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K $25.0K
$19.2K CA$27.2K
30.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Boise, ID
Edmonton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$176 $176
$230 CA$325
-23.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$56.1 $56.1
$42.84 CA$60.6
30.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.2 $75.2
$52.8 CA$74.6
42.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Boise, ID
Edmonton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.55 $39.55
$44.96 CA$63.6
-12.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$37.29 $37.29
$18.06 CA$25.53
106.48%
Cinema Ticket
$12.60 $12.60
$12.84 CA$18.16
-1.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Boise, ID
Edmonton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$959 $959
$766 CA$1,083
25.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.1K $24.1K
$9,441 CA$13.3K
155.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Boise, ID
Edmonton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.0 $53.0
$44.07 CA$62.3
20.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.26 $41.26
$45.73 CA$64.7
-9.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.1 $90.1
$84.1 CA$119
7.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 $110
$95.9 CA$136
15.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Boise, ID
Edmonton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,613 $1,613
$1,086 CA$1,535
48.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,289 $1,289
$915 CA$1,293
40.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,489 $2,489
$1,704 CA$2,409
46.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,800 $1,800
$1,386 CA$1,960
29.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,339 $7,339
$2,206 CA$3,119
232.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,126 $3,126
$1,983 CA$2,804
57.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Boise, ID
Edmonton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,233 $4,233
$3,595 CA$5,083
17.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.68
4.32
54.63%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Boise, ID: October 12, 2026

Last update for Edmonton: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Boise, ID
$1.3K
Edmonton
$915 29% $374
Groceries & Markets
Boise, ID
$422
Edmonton
$359 14.8% $62
Eating Out
Boise, ID
$337
Edmonton
$289 14.3% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Boise, ID
$307
Edmonton
$326 5.9% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Boise, ID
$133
Edmonton
$121 8.4% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Boise, ID
$65
Edmonton
$71 9.1% $5.9
Getting Around
Boise, ID
$57
Edmonton
$90 56.8% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,613 in Boise, ID versus $1,086 in Edmonton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Boise, ID, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Boise, ID versus $74.0 in Edmonton. Groceries tell a different story – $422 in Boise, ID vs $359 in Edmonton – so Edmonton wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Boise, ID
🇨🇦 Edmonton
🕒 Local time
12:52 12:52 PM
12:52 12:52 PM
Same time as Boise, ID
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
235,684
1,010,899
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Boise, ID Edmonton 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Boise, ID
  • Edmonton

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Boise, ID vs Edmonton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Boise, ID or Edmonton?
Boise, ID costs about 20% more than Edmonton, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Boise, ID and in Edmonton?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,914 per month in Boise, ID and $3,255 in Edmonton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Boise, ID or Edmonton?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Edmonton, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Boise, ID and in Edmonton?
Kindergarten costs $959 per month in Boise, ID and $766 in Edmonton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Boise, ID or in Edmonton?
Groceries cost about 17% more in Boise, ID, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Boise, ID or in Edmonton?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Edmonton, where all-in costs run around $2,170, than in Boise, ID at $2,610. In Edmonton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boise, ID it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Edmonton – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Boise, ID or to Edmonton?
If budget matters most, go with Edmonton. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Boise, ID makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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