Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boise, ID and Ulm

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulm: $2,140 a month against $2,610 in Boise, ID, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Boise, ID
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Boise, ID Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Ulm
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Ulm Living Index

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Boise, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,610

/mo nomad

Ulm

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,140

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Ulm actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,610 per month in Boise, ID vs $2,140 in Ulm, rent included.

Boise, ID $2,610
Ulm $2,140

A couple spends around $3,672 per month in Boise, ID vs $3,245 in Ulm, rent included.

Boise, ID $3,672
Ulm $3,245

A family of three spends $4,735 per month in Boise, ID vs $4,350 in Ulm, rent included.

Boise, ID $4,735
Ulm $4,350

Boise, ID costs about 22% more than Ulm, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Boise, ID and Ulm sit above the global median – Boise, ID by 93%, Ulm by 59%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.78 $19.78

$16.80 €14.94

17.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 $71.3

$66.6 €59.2

7.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.07 $13.07

$13.31 €11.84

-1.80%

Cappuccino

$6.08 $6.08

$3.84 €3.42

58.33%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$4.64 €4.13

-41.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.92 €1.71

3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 $6.92

$4.62 €4.11

49.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 $6.59

$4.41 €3.92

49.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.47 €1.30

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 $3.74

$2.05 €1.83

82.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$4.14 €3.68

47.83%

Eggs

$4.42 $4.42

$3.64 €3.24

21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.09 $16.09

$14.34 €12.76

12.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$9.83 €8.74

13.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 $17.27

$25.54 €22.72

-32.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.44 €3.06

44.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.21 €1.96

-20.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.92 €1.71

109.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$3.91 €3.48

22.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.08 €0.96

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.12 €1.00

130.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.66 €1.48

39.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.20 €1.06

101.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.10 $9.10

$9.59 €8.53

-5.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.82 $15.82

$5.67 €5.04

179.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.15 €1.02

85.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.52 €1.35

119.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$3.10 €2.76

-50.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.35 $41.35

$64.4 €57.3

-35.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 $2.59

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 $1.47

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.87 $23.87

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$2.13 €1.89

-45.54%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.6K $36.6K

$32.2K €28.6K

13.66%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.0K $25.0K

$37.9K €33.7K

-33.87%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$176 $176

$377 €336

-53.31%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$56.1 $56.1

$34.04 €30.28

64.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.2 $75.2

$52.9 €47.05

42.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.55 $39.55

$33.61 €29.89

17.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.29 $37.29

$22.70 €20.19

64.27%

Cinema Ticket

$12.60 $12.60

$13.44 €11.95

-6.25%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$959 $959

$441 €393

117.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$13.0K €11.6K

85.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$90.3 €80.3

-41.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.26 $41.26

$55.2 €49.08

-25.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$89.4 €79.6

0.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$148 €131

-25.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 $1,613

$931 €828

73.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$749 €666

72.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 $2,489

$1,830 €1,628

35.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 $1,800

$1,471 €1,308

22.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,339 $7,339

$5,901 €5,249

24.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,126 $3,126

$3,961 €3,524

-21.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,233 $4,233

$3,737 €3,324

13.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

3.97

68.26%

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

Last update for Boise, ID: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ulm: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Boise, ID

$1.3K 49.4%

Ulm

$749 35% 41.9% $540

Groceries & Markets

Boise, ID

$422 16.2%

Ulm

$339 15.9% 19.5% $82

Eating Out

Boise, ID

$337 12.9%

Ulm

$279 13% 17.3% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boise, ID

$307 11.8%

Ulm

$464 21.7% 51% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Boise, ID

$133 5.1%

Ulm

$172 8% 29.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Boise, ID

$65 2.5%

Ulm

$60 2.8% 6.6% $4.3

Getting Around

Boise, ID

$57 2.2%

Ulm

$77 * 3.6% 33.9% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,613 in Boise, ID versus $931 in Ulm. 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 13% 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 $67.0 in Ulm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $422 vs $339 – making Ulm the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boise, ID

🇩🇪 Ulm

🕒 Local time

08:14 8:14 AM

16:14 4:14 PM

8 h ahead of Boise, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

235,684

121,648

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Boise, ID Ulm 8,520 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Boise, ID
Ulm

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 Ulm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boise, ID costs about 22% more than Ulm, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,914 per month in Boise, ID and $3,211 in Ulm. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ulm, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $959 per month in Boise, ID and $441 in Ulm. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% 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.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ulm, where all-in costs run around $2,140, than in Boise, ID at $2,610. In Ulm it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boise, ID it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ulm – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ulm. 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.