
Boise vs Salt Lake City
$564/mo more in Salt Lake City
BoiseSalt Lake CityAbout 235 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Salt Lake City leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 222 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,545/mo in Salt Lake City. $1,981/mo in Boise. +$6,768 a year.
Boise
$1,981
left each month
Salt Lake City
$2,545
+$564 vs Boise
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
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In 2022-2023, 262 households moved Boise → Salt Lake City (avg AGI $55,763). 294 went the other way. The whole move →
+$564 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Boise | Salt Lake City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,000 | $7,700 | +$700 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,706 | $1,935 | +$229 |
| Take-home pay | $5,294 | $5,765 | +$471 |
| Rent | $1,383 | $1,265 | −$118 |
| Getting around | $524 | $519 | −$5 |
| Groceries | $388 | $396 | +$8 |
| Healthcare | $437 | $446 | +$9 |
| Utilities | $243 | $248 | +$5 |
| Everything else | $340 | $347 | +$7 |
| Left over | $1,981 | $2,545 | +$564 |
Salary to match Boise
$82,000
Gross pay in Salt Lake City that leaves the same amount as $84,000 in Boise.
Tax difference
−$252
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.4% in Boise, 25.1% in Salt Lake City.
More about Salt Lake City
Boise, ID in full
Outdoor access that rivals Denver, on wages that haven't caught up to the home prices.
Salt Lake City, UT in full
Four ski resorts inside an hour and a 23-minute average commute.
The other way
Start in Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake City → Boise →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Salt Lake City than Boise?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Salt Lake City leaves about $564 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,383 in Boise and $1,265 in Salt Lake City.
Does Salt Lake City have state income tax?
Salt Lake City is in Utah, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Boise to Salt Lake City?
The paycheck is taxed in Utah. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Boise and Salt Lake City changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.