Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulm and Boise, ID

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.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ulm
Learn more

Ulm Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Boise, ID
Learn more

Boise, ID Living Index

Jump to prices

Ulm

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,140

/mo nomad

Boise, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,610

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ulm 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 Ulm and in Boise, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ulm is about 18% cheaper than Boise, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.80 €14.94

$19.78 $19.78

-15.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.6 €59.2

$71.3 $71.3

-6.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.31 €11.84

$13.07 $13.07

1.84%

Cappuccino

$3.84 €3.42

$6.08 $6.08

-36.84%

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

$4.64 €4.13

$2.71 $2.71

71.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.71

$1.98 $1.98

-3.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 €4.11

$6.92 $6.92

-33.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 €3.92

$6.59 $6.59

-33.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.30

$0.98 $0.98

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.83

$3.74 $3.74

-45.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 €3.68

$6.12 $6.12

-32.35%

Eggs

$3.64 €3.24

$4.42 $4.42

-17.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 €12.76

$16.09 $16.09

-10.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.74

$11.12 $11.12

-11.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.54 €22.72

$17.27 $17.27

47.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 €3.06

$4.96 $4.96

-30.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.96

$1.76 $1.76

25.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$4.02 $4.02

-52.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.48

$4.80 $4.80

-18.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.96

$2.88 $2.88

-62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.58 $2.58

-56.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.48

$2.31 $2.31

-28.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.06

$2.42 $2.42

-50.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.59 €8.53

$9.10 $9.10

5.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$15.82 $15.82

-64.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.02

$2.13 $2.13

-46.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.35

$3.33 $3.33

-54.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.10 €2.76

$1.52 $1.52

103.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 €57.3

$41.35 $41.35

55.77%

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)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.16 $1.16

83.62%

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

$32.2K €28.6K

$36.6K $36.6K

-12.02%

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

$37.9K €33.7K

$25.0K $25.0K

51.21%

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

$377 €336

$176 $176

114.16%

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

$34.04 €30.28

$56.1 $56.1

-39.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 €47.05

$75.2 $75.2

-29.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.61 €29.89

$39.55 $39.55

-15.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.70 €20.19

$37.29 $37.29

-39.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 €11.95

$12.60 $12.60

6.67%

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

$441 €393

$959 $959

-53.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K €11.6K

$24.1K $24.1K

-45.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 €80.3

$53.0 $53.0

70.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 €49.08

$41.26 $41.26

33.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 €79.6

$90.1 $90.1

-0.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €131

$110 $110

33.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 €828

$1,613 $1,613

-42.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 €666

$1,289 $1,289

-41.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 €1,628

$2,489 $2,489

-26.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 €1,308

$1,800 $1,800

-18.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,901 €5,249

$7,339 $7,339

-19.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,961 €3,524

$3,126 $3,126

26.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,737 €3,324

$4,233 $4,233

-11.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

6.68

-40.57%

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

Last update for Ulm: 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

Ulm

$749 35%

Boise, ID

$1.3K 49.4% 72.1% $540

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulm

$464 21.7%

Boise, ID

$307 11.8% 33.8% $157

Groceries & Markets

Ulm

$339 15.9%

Boise, ID

$422 16.2% 24.2% $82

Eating Out

Ulm

$279 13%

Boise, ID

$337 12.9% 20.9% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Ulm

$172 8%

Boise, ID

$133 5.1% 23% $40

Getting Around

Ulm

$77 * 3.6%

Boise, ID

$57 2.2% 25.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Ulm

$60 2.8%

Boise, ID

$65 2.5% 7.1% $4.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $931 in Ulm 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 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 $67.0 in Ulm versus $71.0 in Boise, ID. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $422 – making Ulm the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Ulm

🇺🇸 Boise, ID

🕒 Local time

22:30 10:30 PM

14:30 2:30 PM

8 h behind Ulm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

121,648

235,684

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Ulm
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

Ulm vs Boise, ID: 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 $3,211 per month in Ulm 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 Ulm, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $441 per month in Ulm 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 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.