Moving to Idaho from Michigan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Michigan to Idaho? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Michigan to Idaho, you would find that Idaho is 1.1% cheaper than Michigan. A $75,000 salary in Michigan would need to be roughly $74,200 in Idaho to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Michigan and Idaho.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $74,200
To maintain the same standard of living in Idaho
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 8.7% less
Groceries
pay 9.4% less
Transportation
pay 7.7% less
Housing
pay 9.0% more
Childcare
pay 7.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 9.3% 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.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Idaho cost about 1% less than cities in Michigan.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Idaho compared to Michigan.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Idaho performs significantly better than Michigan 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
Idaho generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Michigan leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Michigan performs better than Idaho across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Idaho performs significantly better than Michigan across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Idaho generally does better on employment & economy, though Michigan leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Michigan generally does better on family life, though Idaho leads in life expectancy.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lansing | Boise |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/21°F (2°/-6°C) | 46°/29°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/57°F (26°/14°C) | 87°/57°F (30°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 47°/32°F (9°/0°C) | 50°/32°F (10°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lansing | Boise |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/17°F (-0.8°/-8.3°C) | 38°/25°F (3.2°/-4.1°C) |
| Feb | 34°/19°F (0.9°/-7.4°C) | 45°/28°F (7.1°/-2.1°C) |
| Mar | 44°/27°F (6.7°/-2.8°C) | 55°/34°F (12.6°/1.3°C) |
| Apr | 58°/38°F (14.2°/3.3°C) | 62°/39°F (16.8°/4.1°C) |
| May | 69°/48°F (20.5°/8.9°C) | 72°/47°F (22.0°/8.1°C) |
| Jun | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) | 81°/54°F (27.4°/12.1°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.2°C) | 91°/60°F (32.9°/15.8°C) |
| Aug | 81°/60°F (27.0°/15.5°C) | 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) |
| Sep | 74°/51°F (23.1°/10.8°C) | 79°/51°F (26.0°/10.6°C) |
| Oct | 60°/41°F (15.8°/5.1°C) | 65°/41°F (18.2°/4.9°C) |
| Nov | 47°/33°F (8.6°/0.5°C) | 48°/32°F (9.0°/-0.1°C) |
| Dec | 35°/22°F (1.6°/-5.3°C) | 38°/24°F (3.1°/-4.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Idaho than Michigan?
Idaho and Michigan are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Idaho?
Budget about $18,550 for 3 months in Idaho (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Idaho safe?
Idaho performs significantly better than Michigan across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Idaho compared to Michigan?
Idaho generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Michigan leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Idaho compared to Michigan?
The average high temperature in Boise is 64°F, compared to 58°F in Lansing. Boise receives around 11.7 in of rainfall per year, while Lansing gets 32.2 in.
