USA Cost of Living Compare US cities and states with official data

Idaho vs California: cost of living compared

Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).

Is it cheaper to live in Idaho or California?

  • Overall, California is 15.9% more expensive than Idaho (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Idaho works out to about $87,000 in California, before taxes.
  • Most of the difference is housing, which costs 71.4% more in California. Goods are 10.2% higher and other services 3.6% higher.
  • Utility prices (electricity, gas, water) are 125.6% higher in California.
  • After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $63,028 in California and $52,816 in Idaho (19.3% higher in California; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
  • Inside each state, metro price levels run from 95.2 in El Centro, CA to 115.6 in San Francisco, CA (California) and from 88.9 in Pocatello, ID to 98.4 in Boise, ID (Idaho), US = 100.
  • The gap has narrowed since 2019, when California was 20.2% more expensive than Idaho.

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities and real personal income by state. Statewide averages mix cities and rural areas; taxes are not included. How we calculate.

Try your own salary

18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both states against the US average (100).

Housing drives the gap: 71.4% higher in California than in Idaho

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

  • Idaho
  • California
All items
95.5 110.7
Goods
96.3 106.1
Housing (rents)
90.0 154.3
Utilities
70.4 158.9
Other services
99.0 102.6

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IdahoCalifornia
All items95.5110.7
Goods96.3106.1
Housing (rents)90.0154.3
Utilities70.4158.9
Other services99.0102.6
CategoryIdahoCaliforniaCalifornia vs Idaho
All items95.5110.7+15.9%
Goods96.3106.1+10.2%
Housing (rents)90.0154.3+71.4%
Utilities70.4158.9+125.6%
Other services99.0102.6+3.6%
Income per person, adjusted for prices $52,816 $63,028 +19.3%
Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* $4.47 $6.03 +35.0%
Salary to match $75,000 in Idaho $75,000 $87,000 +15.9%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices. *Rocky Mountain region average (EIA has no separate Idaho figure).

Cheapest and most expensive places in each state

Idaho

  1. Pocatello, ID 88.9
  2. Lewiston, ID 91.2
  3. Twin Falls, ID 92.1
  4. Idaho Falls, ID 94.4
  5. Logan, UT 95.9
  6. Coeur d'Alene, ID 98.3
  7. Boise, ID 98.4

California

  1. El Centro, CA 95.2
  2. Merced, CA 98.3
  3. Visalia, CA 99.8
  4. Redding, CA 100.7
  5. Bakersfield, CA 100.9
  6. Chico, CA 101.2
  7. Hanford, CA 101.6
  8. Fresno, CA 102.2
  9. Modesto, CA 104.1
  10. Yuba City, CA 104.2
  11. Stockton, CA 105.1
  12. Riverside, CA 106.4
  13. Sacramento, CA 106.7
  14. Santa Rosa, CA 107.8
  15. Vallejo, CA 108.5
  16. San Luis Obispo, CA 108.6
  17. Santa Maria, CA 108.8
  18. Salinas, CA 109.0
  19. Santa Cruz, CA 109.9
  20. San Jose, CA 110.4
  21. Oxnard, CA 110.5
  22. San Diego, CA 111.9
  23. Napa, CA 112.6
  24. Los Angeles, CA 113.6
  25. San Francisco, CA 115.6

Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between Idaho and California has been fairly stable since 2008

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

  • Idaho
  • California
US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IdahoCalifornia
200895.0111.2
200994.8110.7
201093.2109.7
201194.1109.5
201293.5109.7
201393.7109.7
201493.7109.9
201594.3110.7
201693.0110.0
201794.5111.0
201891.7111.9
201992.4111.1
202091.0111.9
202191.6111.9
202291.8112.6
202392.2112.2
202495.5110.7

Goods

  • Idaho
  • California
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IdahoCalifornia
200899.2107.4
2009100.6104.7
201099.0103.0
201199.6103.6
201298.1104.1
201396.3104.3
201497.2104.3
2015100.3105.5
201699.6104.4
2017101.1104.5
201896.2105.5
201998.9106.2
202095.4106.7
202196.6108.1
202296.1108.4
202395.9106.8
202496.3106.1

Housing (rents)

  • Idaho
  • California
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IdahoCalifornia
200881.4161.4
200979.0160.4
201075.8158.0
201174.7157.1
201275.3156.2
201378.7155.7
201476.9157.9
201574.2158.0
201673.8160.1
201774.1162.5
201877.5163.8
201975.7164.6
202076.3166.3
202184.2165.0
202287.7160.1
202386.9157.8
202490.0154.3

Utilities

  • Idaho
  • California
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IdahoCalifornia
200866.4111.4
200972.2112.8
201076.1117.2
201176.6115.3
201279.8117.1
201381.0121.4
201482.3128.3
201583.5129.3
201684.5129.5
201779.7130.7
201873.9125.1
201974.7131.0
202075.2133.5
202168.4144.2
202266.3152.3
202368.1147.3
202470.4158.9

Other services

  • Idaho
  • California
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
IdahoCalifornia
2008100.5101.9
2009100.1102.0
201098.3101.7
2011100.6101.6
201299.3101.9
201399.8101.8
201499.7101.9
201599.4102.8
201697.0101.9
201799.5103.3
201895.6104.3
201996.5102.4
202095.7101.9
202192.0102.1
202291.9103.9
202393.3104.4
202499.0102.6

What incomes buy in each state

Income per person after adjusting for prices: $63,028 in California, $52,816 in Idaho

Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).

  • Idaho
  • California
  • United States

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.

Show the numbers
IdahoCaliforniaUnited States
2008$38,641$43,788$45,816
2009$37,042$42,377$44,204
2010$37,925$43,503$44,808
2011$38,348$44,844$45,957
2012$39,447$46,162$46,796
2013$39,836$45,826$46,358
2014$40,832$47,472$47,661
2015$42,381$50,054$49,396
2016$43,476$51,802$49,828
2017$43,689$52,569$51,006
2018$46,299$53,523$52,242
2019$48,040$55,931$53,683
2020$52,336$59,993$56,514
2021$55,840$63,373$59,365
2022$53,576$59,126$57,104
2023$53,302$60,100$58,088
2024$52,816$63,028$59,195

More

Related state comparisons

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State income, sales and property taxes differ a lot between states and are not included.
  • Where you live inside the state. Statewide figures average cities and rural areas; the metro lists above show the spread.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider if housing is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels and incomes are for 2024; gas prices are weekly.

Methodology · Data sources · Report an error