Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Boise, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Boise, ID: $2,610 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $28,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
126

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Boise, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Boise, ID

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

A single person spends $4,950 per month in New York, NY vs $2,610 in Boise, ID, rent included.

New York, NY $4,950
Boise, ID $2,610

A couple spends around $7,265 per month in New York, NY vs $3,672 in Boise, ID, rent included.

New York, NY $7,265
Boise, ID $3,672

A family of three spends $9,581 per month in New York, NY vs $4,735 in Boise, ID, rent included.

New York, NY $9,581
Boise, ID $4,735

New York, NY costs about 90% more than Boise, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Boise, ID sit above the global median – New York, NY by 267%, Boise, ID by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$19.78 $19.78

24.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$71.3 $71.3

70.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$13.07 $13.07

6.43%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$6.08 $6.08

8.39%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.71 $2.71

41.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.98 $1.98

44.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$6.92 $6.92

12.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$6.59 $6.59

49.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.98 $0.98

40.82%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.74 $3.74

25.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$6.12 $6.12

23.20%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$4.42 $4.42

34.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$16.09 $16.09

17.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$11.12 $11.12

56.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$17.27 $17.27

7.18%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.96 $4.96

35.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.76 $1.76

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.02 $4.02

51.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.80 $4.80

40.42%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.88 $2.88

40.63%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.58 $2.58

69.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.31 $2.31

25.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.42 $2.42

7.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$9.10 $9.10

105.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$15.82 $15.82

26.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.13 $2.13

52.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.33 $3.33

12.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.52 $1.52

101.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$41.35 $41.35

239.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.59 $2.59

17.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.47 $1.47

46.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$23.87 $23.87

75.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.16 $1.16

-3.45%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$36.6K $36.6K

-3.13%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.0K $25.0K

3.99%

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

$219 $219

$176 $176

24.34%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$56.1 $56.1

30.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$75.2 $75.2

-4.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$39.55 $39.55

210.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

$37.29 $37.29

81.47%

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$12.60 $12.60

81.35%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$959 $959

247.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$24.1K $24.1K

148.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$53.0 $53.0

42.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$41.26 $41.26

26.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$90.1 $90.1

35.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$110 $110

20.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$1,613 $1,613

172.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$1,289 $1,289

142.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$2,489 $2,489

258.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$1,800 $1,800

197.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$7,339 $7,339

164.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$3,126 $3,126

117.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$4,233 $4,233

26.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.68

2.10%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for Boise, ID: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

Boise, ID

$1.3K 49.4% 58.8% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Boise, ID

$422 16.2% 22.7% $123

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Boise, ID

$337 12.9% 16.5% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Boise, ID

$307 11.8% 15.6% $57

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Boise, ID

$133 5.1% 23% $40

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Boise, ID

$65 2.5% 61.5% $104

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Boise, ID

$57 2.2% 65.6% $109

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,389 in New York, NY versus $1,613 in Boise, ID. 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 26% higher in New York, NY, 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 $122 in New York, NY versus $71.0 in Boise, ID. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $545 vs $422 – making Boise, ID the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Boise, ID

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

14:33 2:33 PM

2 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

235,684

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Boise, ID 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Boise, ID

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

New York, NY vs Boise, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 90% more than Boise, ID, 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 $7,424 per month in New York, NY and $3,914 in Boise, ID. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $3,333 per month in New York, NY and $959 in Boise, ID. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,950 in New York, NY and $2,610 in Boise, ID. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Boise, ID costs $2,610 versus $4,950 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Boise, ID. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.