City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Boston, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 10.0% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $110,000 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,381 in Boise City, ID. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 22% in Boise City, ID.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $588 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Boise City, ID.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Boise City, ID to Boston, MA ($106,437 → $120,548), while prices change by +10.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.9% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Boise City, ID | Boston, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 108.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,036 in Boston | $90,879 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $2,476/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 40% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $66,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 148.4 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 103.6 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 108.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$588/yr.
18 Weak offer
Boston, MA → Boise City, ID
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$588/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Boston, MA is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Boston, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Boston, MA | Real change, Boise City → Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,905 | +2.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,579 | +2.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $101,375 | +2.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,548 | +2.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $142,452 | +2.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Boston, MA | Boston pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $98,060 | $89,116 (+45.5%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $166,090 | $150,941 (+14.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $100,150 | $91,015 (+18.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $106,180 | $96,495 (−1.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.