Boise ID Cost of Living in 2026 | Can You Really Afford Boise?

Most people scrolling Zillow in California think Idaho is just a cheaper version of home. Lower prices, same lifestyle. The truth is very different. Boise and the Treasure Valley have their own cost structure, their own taxes, their own tradeoffs, and one big expense almost nobody plans for until it hits them.

In this guide, I break down the real Boise ID cost of living in 2026 using actual numbers from my own bills and from clients who have already made the move. We will talk about housing, rent, utilities, groceries, health insurance, property taxes, school costs, and the hidden moving expenses most people forget so you can decide if you can really afford Boise.

Quick Overview: Can You Really Afford Boise?
Housing and Mortgage Payments in Ada vs Canyon County
Renting Before You Buy in Boise
Utilities: Gas, Electric, Water, Irrigation, and Internet
HOA Fees and What You Get For Them
Homeowners, Fire, and Flood Insurance
Groceries and Everyday Spending
Health Insurance in Idaho
Transportation: Gas, Registration, and Car Insurance
Property Taxes and Special Districts
Idaho State Income Tax
School Costs: Public, Private, and Homeschool
Moving Costs Most People Forget
Wages vs Cost of Living: Who Really Wins
Conclusion: Is Boise Idaho Worth the Move?

Quick Overview: Can You Really Afford Boise?

Boise is not a bargain basement market anymore. It is also not San Diego or the Bay Area. The real story sits in the middle.

Big savings on property taxes, utilities, car registration, and often health insurance.
Higher than expected housing costs in the most popular suburbs like Meridian, Eagle, and Star.
Groceries and gas are often a little cheaper, but not life changing on their own.
Wages can be lower, so working remote or retiring here can make the math work a lot better.

If you are leaving a high cost coastal city, Boise can feel like a huge upgrade. If you are coming from a smaller or cheaper area, you may feel some sticker shock. The key is understanding the numbers before you uproot your life.

Housing and Mortgage Payments in Ada vs Canyon County

Let us start with the biggest line item in your Boise ID cost of living in 2026: housing.

Across Ada County, which covers Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Star, and Kuna, the median home price is sitting around $560,000. With 20 percent down, that often means a mortgage payment in the $2,500 to $3,000 per month range depending on your rate, taxes, and insurance. If you put less down with something like FHA at 3.5 percent, you can easily land closer to $3,500 per month.

Medians vary a lot by city:

Boise and Meridian sit in the mid $500,000s.
Star is often closer to the $750,000 range.
Eagle pushes toward a $1,000,000 median just to get in.

On the other hand, Canyon County, which includes Nampa and Caldwell, is more affordable. The median price there is roughly $420,000, which brings a 20 percent down payment mortgage into the low $2,000s per month.

In simple terms, you can often save $75,000 to $100,000 on the price of a very similar home by looking in Canyon County instead of Meridian or Boise.

Renting Before You Buy in Boise

A lot of my California clients decide to rent first so they can learn the area before they buy. That can be a smart move as long as you budget correctly.

Short term options like Airbnb and Furnish Finder give you flexibility, but they cost more per month.
A three or four bedroom single family home in Boise or Meridian can easily run around $3,000 per month or more.
In Nampa or Caldwell, similar homes may be closer to $2,200 to $2,800 per month.

If you plan on renting for six months or a year before buying, plug those numbers into your budget up front so the transition feels planned instead of painful.

Utilities: Gas, Electric, Water, Irrigation, and Internet

This is one area where many Californians are pleasantly surprised. Utilities in Idaho are often much cheaper than what you are used to.

For power, there are two main providers: Idaho Power for electricity and Intermountain Gas for natural gas. You will open separate accounts with each.

In my own 2,700 square foot home with three kids, a hot tub, an infrared sauna, multiple freezers, and HVAC running almost nonstop, my average bills look like this:

Electric: About $175 per month on average. In cooler months it can be closer to $100 and in peak summer heat it can hit around $250.
Gas: Around $100 per month in the coldest winter months and as low as $20 in summer. The average usually lands around $50 to $60 per month.

Compared to paying $300 or more in San Diego while hardly running the AC, this is a big win for many families moving here.

Water and Irrigation

Water works differently here, and this is where you can either save a lot or be surprised.

My water, sewer, trash, and recycling are billed together every two months. It averages about $100 per month.
Roughly $80 of that is water, and $20 is trash and recycling.
On top of that, I pay about $170 per year for unlimited irrigation water from the canal system.

Irrigation water is not treated and you do not drink it, but it keeps lawns and plants alive at a fraction of the cost. In some Meridian communities, I have clients paying as little as $20 per year for irrigation. The key is to check whether a home uses irrigation water or domestic city water for the yard before you buy.

Internet Costs

Internet providers vary by neighborhood. Common names include Sparklight, Quantum Fiber, CenturyLink, TDS, and Silver Star.

I used to pay about $80 to $90 per month with Sparklight while renting their modem. I switched to TDS fiber and now pay about $43 per month for 1 gig fiber after buying my own modem and router. In general, plan on $35 to $90 per month depending on speed and provider.

HOA Fees and What You Get For Them

HOAs are a big part of life in newer Treasure Valley subdivisions. Almost every master planned neighborhood has one, especially in Meridian and new construction areas.

My HOA runs about $500 per year. It covers common area landscaping and large community lawns.
Communities with pools, pickleball courts, nice clubhouses, or extensive paths might range from about $800 to $1,200 per year.
Some simpler older neighborhoods can be closer to $10 per month.

Most HOAs here are less intense than some California HOAs. The big focus is keeping homes looking nice, getting approval for major exterior changes, and not leaving RVs, work trucks, or trash cans out front all the time.

Homeowners, Fire, and Flood Insurance

Insurance costs have been rising everywhere, and Idaho is no exception, but it is still more reasonable than many coastal states.

When I first moved here, my homeowners insurance was about $600 per year. After a couple of big increases, I shopped around and changed brokers, and now I am around $1,000 per year for my home.

In general, expect:

$700 per year on the low end for smaller or simpler homes.
$1,000 to $2,500 per year for more expensive homes or larger coverage.

Fire risk is more of an issue in the mountain and heavily forested areas than right in Boise. Some mountain homeowners in Idaho and nearby states are seeing policies dropped or huge premium hikes, but most foothill communities near Boise, like Dry Creek Ranch and Avimor, are still insurable at normal rates right now.

Flood insurance is only required if your home is inside a mapped floodplain, especially along the Boise River. In some communities, developers built the subdivision up out of the floodplain, even though the area around it still shows on flood maps. I had a client who was quoted about $3,000 per year for flood insurance until we got a letter from the developer proving the home was above the flood level, and the requirement was removed completely.

Groceries and Everyday Spending

Groceries in Boise are not dirt cheap, but they are often a bit less than what many Californians are used to.

A typical family of four or five will often spend around $800 to $1,200 per month depending on where you shop and how you eat.
We pay about $8 per gallon for raw milk that is delivered to our door. Some options are as low as $6 per gallon, compared to closer to $20 per gallon in California when you can even find it.
You will see a lot of farm stands, local dairies, and half cow or quarter cow meat shares that can lower costs and increase quality.

Idaho does have a 6 percent sales tax, and it applies to groceries too. There is constant talk about removing sales tax on food, but as of now, you should expect to pay it on your grocery bill.

Health Insurance in Idaho

Health insurance is a big one in the Boise ID cost of living discussion, especially for self employed families or early retirees.

On the standard state marketplace:

Families who qualify for income based tax credits might see plans around $375 to $500 per month for a family of five, but with very high deductibles in the $15,000 to $20,000 range.
Higher income families who do not qualify for those credits may see the same plans priced around $1,300 to $1,500 per month, again with very high deductibles.

My family uses a health share plan instead. We pay about $610 per month with a roughly $2,500 annual deductible and a 10 percent co pay. Certain expenses like supplements or massages can even count toward the deductible up to a set amount each month.

I am not a tax or insurance advisor, but there are options beyond the standard marketplace. When you reach out, I am happy to point you toward the resources I use so you can compare apples to apples.

Transportation: Gas, Registration, and Car Insurance

Transportation is another place where Idaho often feels cheaper than California.

Car registration on older vehicles can be around $45 per year. Newer vehicles often run closer to $75 per year.
You can add a $10 per year state parks pass to your registration that covers many Idaho state parks.
Gas prices usually sit somewhere in the $3 to $4 per gallon range, though they change with the national market.

Car insurance varies a lot by driver and carrier, but many people find it much cheaper than California.

I used to pay about $200 per month for full coverage on two newer vehicles.
After switching carriers, I cut that to about $100 per month total, or roughly $50 per vehicle.

Property Taxes and Special Districts

Property taxes are one of the big reasons people see their overall Boise ID cost of living drop compared to states like California or Texas.

Idaho taxes are based on a levy system tied to local budgets. Those budgets can only increase by about 3 percent per year by state law, which helps keep big spikes in check.

In practice:

Most areas have effective property tax rates between about 0.35 percent and 1 percent.
Idaho is a non disclosure state, so the county does not automatically know what you paid. They assess a value, which is often below your purchase price.
You also get a $125,000 homeowner exemption on your primary residence, which knocks that much value off your taxable base.

So if you bought a home for $600,000, the county might assess it at $550,000. With the homeowner exemption, you are only taxed on about $425,000. My own effective tax rate is around 0.6 percent, and some areas like Star can be closer to 0.44 percent.

Some newer master planned communities have an extra layer of tax called a Community Infrastructure District (CID), which is similar to Mello Roos in California. It is often around an extra half percent and shows up as a separate line item on your bill. Not every subdivision has this, so it is important to ask before you buy.

Idaho State Income Tax

Idaho keeps income tax simple. Instead of a long list of brackets like California, Idaho uses a nearly flat state income tax of about 5.7 percent.

For many families, especially higher earners leaving California where top rates can hit the teens, this alone can make a big difference in their yearly budget. The exact impact on you depends on your income, deductions, and how your business or employment is structured, so talk with your tax pro for precise numbers.

School Costs: Public, Private, and Homeschool

Public schools do not charge tuition, but many families moving here explore private school, charter options, or homeschool. That is where costs come in.

Elementary private school tuition often ranges from about $6,000 to $9,000 per year.
Middle school can run $7,000 to $12,000 per year.
High school is often in the $10,000 to $15,000 per year range.

There is also a large homeschool community with hybrid programs and co ops. My family is in a two day per week drop off program that runs about $300 per child per month during the school year.

On top of that, Idaho has passed a new school choice tax credit that may provide up to $5,000 per child for qualified families to use toward tuition or certain educational expenses. It is being challenged, and the details matter, but if it stands, it can significantly offset private and homeschool costs.

Moving Costs Most People Forget

One of the biggest budget mistakes I see is people maxing out their funds on the down payment and then forgetting about closing costs and moving costs.

Closing costs on a cash purchase might be around $1,800.
With a financed loan, closing costs often land somewhere in the $5,000 to $10,000 range depending on price and loan type.
DIY moves with a rental truck can still run several thousand dollars once you add fuel, lodging, and equipment.
Full service movers can range from around $6,000 to $12,000 or more depending on distance and how much you bring. I have partners who keep that on the lower end, but many families pay on the higher end without planning for it.

When we moved here, I spent around $3,000 total by getting creative with truck rentals and doing most of the work myself. That is not for everyone, but it shows how different the numbers can look depending on your approach.

Wages vs Cost of Living: Who Really Wins

The last piece of the Boise ID cost of living puzzle is income. Wages in Idaho are often lower than the national average, especially for service jobs and some local roles. That is why the move makes the most sense if:

You work remote for a company in a higher cost area.
You are in a skilled field like engineering or tech and are getting a strong offer from employers like Micron or St Luke's.
You are retiring and drawing income from pensions, investments, or business sales in another state.

If you plan to move here and immediately start over in a lower wage local job while buying at the top of your budget, the math can be tough. When I work with clients, we walk through the wage to cost ratio up front so the move sets you up for success instead of stress.

Conclusion: Is Boise Idaho Worth the Move?

Boise and the Treasure Valley are not the cheapest places in America, but they also are not crushingly expensive like many coastal metros. For my family, the tradeoff was absolutely worth it. We left high housing costs, high taxes, and a culture that no longer fit us. Here, we were able to buy a home, pay down nearly half of it, pick up a rental, and build a very different financial and lifestyle future.

Your story might be different. Maybe you value walkable city life more than big yards. Maybe you hate winter and love the beach. Or maybe you want exactly what Boise offers: safer neighborhoods, strong community values, real seasons, and a cost of living that lets you build something for your family instead of just hanging on.

My name is Curtis Chism. I am a relocation focused real estate agent who moved my own family from San Diego to the Treasure Valley, and I help families like yours do the same every single week.

Whether you are 9 days, 90 days, or 2 years out, it is not too early to start running your numbers and mapping out a plan. Sometimes people move sooner once they see what they can afford. Sometimes we build a roadmap that includes renting first or timing a new construction build.