Moving to Idaho from United States
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from United States to Idaho — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from United States to Idaho, you would find that Idaho is 9.4% cheaper than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly $58,084 in Idaho to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from United States to Idaho.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $58,084
To maintain the same standard of living in Idaho
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 5.5% less
Groceries
pay 11.5% less
Transportation
pay 8.3% less
Housing
pay 15.4% less
Childcare
pay 17.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 1.3% less
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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from United States to Idaho.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Idaho performs significantly better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
United States performs better than Idaho across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Idaho generally does better on employment & economy, though United States leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
United States performs better than Idaho across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Washington | Boise |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 46°/29°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 87°/57°F (30°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 50°/32°F (10°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Boise |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 38°/25°F (3.2°/-4.1°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 45°/28°F (7.1°/-2.1°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 55°/34°F (12.6°/1.3°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 62°/39°F (16.8°/4.1°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 72°/47°F (22.0°/8.1°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 81°/54°F (27.4°/12.1°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 91°/60°F (32.9°/15.8°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 79°/51°F (26.0°/10.6°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 65°/41°F (18.2°/4.9°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 48°/32°F (9.0°/-0.1°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 38°/24°F (3.1°/-4.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Idaho than United States?
Yes — Idaho is on average about 23% cheaper than United States. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Idaho?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $14,521 in Idaho on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Idaho?
Usually fine from major cities in Idaho. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Idaho compared to United States?
Idaho performs significantly better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Idaho compared to United States?
The average high temperature in Boise is 64°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Boise receives around 11.7 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
What language do they speak in Idaho?
Both United States and Idaho share the same official language: English.
