on $100k a year, leaving San Diego
changea dispatch from
boise
ID
43.62°N
116.20°W
Boise is basically Denver before Denver got Denver-y: walkable downtown, foothills you can run into on your lunch break, and a river slicing right through the middle of town. The Basque Block downtown anchors the biggest Basque community in the U.S., which nobody sees coming. The vibe is 'we close our laptops and go outside,' and the trails make that very easy to do. Locals would prefer you didn't tell anyone.
in our guides
the verdict
below San Diego's monthly cost
Boise is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
a quick ledger.
$1,794/mo
38% cheaper than San Diego(vs $2,890/mo)
5.8%
$292/mo less in state tax than San Diego
vs 9.3% in San Diego
$6,056/mo
$1,388 more than San Diego
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$490k
51% cheaper than San Diego
vs $1010k in San Diego
827k
vs 3.3M in San Diego
field notes, weather & such.
166
pleasant days a year, in boise.
San Diego actually gets more: 332 pleasant days a year. Summer is real but not punishing: 27 days top 95° vs San Diego's 0.
Noticeably quieter than San Diego. About 78% fewer events on a typical month.
82/100
9% higher than San Diego
vs 75/100 in San Diego
Closest outdoor draw: Sawtooth National Forest, 48.9 mi.
96/100
3% lower than San Diego
vs 99/100 in San Diego
16
71% fewer than San Diego
vs 55 nonstops in San Diego
same energy as boise, different zip code:
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