Is Boise City cheaper than Provo?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Boise City and Provo metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, Boise City or Provo?

Provo has the higher median household income — $101,014 versus $88,695 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 14% more.

Does a paycheck go further in Boise City or Provo?

A paycheck stretches further in Provo. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $102,832 there versus $90,145 in Boise City.

Which has cheaper rent, Boise City or Provo?

Rents are close — $1,628/mo in the Boise City metro versus $1,611/mo in Provo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Boise City vs Provo

Metro-area medians — Boise City, ID Metro Area vs Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Provo comes out ahead, winning 5 of the 8 clearly-decided measures.

Boise City and Provo cost about the same to live in, but Provo households earn about 14% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Provo.

Their widest everyday difference: Provo is more educated — 44% of adults hold a bachelor's degree versus 38%.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Boise City, ID

$58,173

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$59,125

real value after local prices

Provo, UT

$57,939

take-home / yr · 23% to tax

$58,981

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Boise City leaves you about $143/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Boise City

Provo

Livability (CityLedger)

64/100

74/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

98.4

98.2

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$90,145

$102,832

Median household income

$88,695

$101,014

Median rent

$1,628/mo

$1,611/mo

Median home value

$484,000

$584,600

Unemployment

4.2%

Bachelor's degree or higher

38%

44%

Average commute

23.8 min

25.4 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

48°F

51°F

Choose Boise City for

+ Median home value
+ Unemployment
+ Average commute

Full Boise City profile →

Choose Provo for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
+ Median household income
+ Bachelor's degree or higher
+ Air quality (median AQI)

Full Provo profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Boise City and Provo on cost, income, size, and education.

Boise City vs Lancaster→Boise City vs Reno→Boise City vs Colorado Springs→Provo vs Colorado Springs→Provo vs Salt Lake City→Provo vs Ogden→

Boise City vs Provo — frequently asked

Is Boise City cheaper than Provo?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Boise City and Provo metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Boise City or Provo?: Provo has the higher median household income — $101,014 versus $88,695 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 14% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Boise City or Provo?: A paycheck stretches further in Provo. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $102,832 there versus $90,145 in Boise City.
Which has cheaper rent, Boise City or Provo?: Rents are close — $1,628/mo in the Boise City metro versus $1,611/mo in Provo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).