Moving to Colorado from Idaho
What to Expect
Considering a move from Idaho to Colorado? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Idaho to Colorado, you would find that Colorado is 16.9% more expensive than Idaho. A $75,000 salary in Idaho would need to be roughly $88,113 in Colorado to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Idaho and Colorado.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $88,113
To maintain the same standard of living in Colorado
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 13.9% more
Groceries
pay 11.6% more
Transportation
pay 22.6% more
Housing
pay 30.8% more
Childcare
pay 15.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 7.1% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Colorado compared to Idaho.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Idaho performs better than Colorado across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Colorado performs significantly better than Idaho across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Idaho performs better than Colorado across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Idaho generally does better on infrastructure, though Colorado leads in internet access.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Colorado generally does better on employment & economy, though Idaho leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Idaho generally does better on family life, though Colorado leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Boise | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 46°/29°F (8°/-2°C) | 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 72°/43°F (22°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/57°F (30°/14°C) | 85°/55°F (29°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/32°F (10°/0°C) | 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Boise | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°/25°F (3.2°/-4.1°C) | 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C) |
| Feb | 45°/28°F (7.1°/-2.1°C) | 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 55°/34°F (12.6°/1.3°C) | 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C) |
| Apr | 62°/39°F (16.8°/4.1°C) | 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C) |
| May | 72°/47°F (22.0°/8.1°C) | 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C) |
| Jun | 81°/54°F (27.4°/12.1°C) | 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C) |
| Jul | 91°/60°F (32.9°/15.8°C) | 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C) |
| Aug | 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) | 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 79°/51°F (26.0°/10.6°C) | 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 65°/41°F (18.2°/4.9°C) | 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C) |
| Nov | 48°/32°F (9.0°/-0.1°C) | 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C) |
| Dec | 38°/24°F (3.1°/-4.4°C) | 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Colorado than Idaho?
On average Colorado is around 17% pricier than Idaho, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Colorado?
Budget about $22,028 for 3 months in Colorado (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Colorado safe?
Idaho performs better than Colorado across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Colorado compared to Idaho?
Colorado performs significantly better than Idaho across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Colorado compared to Idaho?
The average high temperature in Denver is 65°F, compared to 64°F in Boise. Denver receives around 14.3 in of rainfall per year, while Boise gets 11.7 in.
