Overall
- Winston-Salem
- 92.0
- Boise City
- 98.4
Diff +6.3 RPP
Winston-Salem vs Boise City
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Boise City is 6.9% more expensive than Winston-Salem.
6.9% more expensive
Boise City, ID is 6.9% more expensive than Winston-Salem, NC on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 98.4 vs 92.0). A $100,000 salary in Winston-Salem buys about the same as $106,897 in Boise City; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 92.0 (Winston-Salem) vs 98.4 (Boise City)
- $100k in Winston-Salem ≈ $106,897 purchasing power in Boise City
- Rents drives the gap (+34.2 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair NC:ID 92.0→98.4
TIER-NEAR · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-BELOW · PP-SHIFT
- TIER-NEAR Near tier
- CROSS-STATE NC × ID
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-BELOW Both below 100
- PP-SHIFT PP shift
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Winston-Salem
- 96.6
- Boise City
- 96.2
Diff -0.4 RPP
Services
- Winston-Salem
- 88.4
- Boise City
- 70.7
Diff -17.7 RPP
Rents
- Winston-Salem
- 71.4
- Boise City
- 105.6
Diff +34.2 RPP
| Category | Winston-Salem | Boise City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 92.0 | 98.4 | +6.3 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 96.2 | -0.4 |
| Services | 88.4 | 70.7 | -17.7 |
| Rents | 71.4 | 105.6 | +34.2 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Winston-Salem 92.0
Boise City 98.4
Goods
Winston-Salem 96.6
Boise City 96.2
Services
Winston-Salem 88.4
Boise City 70.7
Rents
Winston-Salem 71.4
Boise City 105.6
Vertical line = national average (100)
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Rents creates the largest separation: Boise City is 34.2 points higher. But services and goods move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Boise City, ID is 6.9% more expensive than Winston-Salem, NC, a meaningful but not extreme shift. The move decision turns on which budget category creates the 6.3-point overall gap.
Both metros remain below the U.S. benchmark of 100. This comparison chooses between two below-average price levels; “more expensive” here does not mean nationally expensive.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
For a housing-sensitive move, validate the rent gap first: HUD Fair Market Rent and the actual unit size can overturn what the blended index implies. On the BEA ratio alone, $100,000 in Winston-Salem corresponds to $106,897 in Boise City.
Winston-Salem
92.0
Cost Index
Boise City
98.4
Cost Index
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Winston-Salem would need to be in Boise City for the same purchasing power:
| In Winston-Salem | In Boise City | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $53,448 | +$3,448 |
| $75,000 | $80,173 | +$5,173 |
| $100,000 | $106,897 | +$6,897 |
| $150,000 | $160,345 | +$10,345 |
$ in Winston-Salem = in Boise City
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (92.0 → 98.4), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Boise City more expensive than Winston-Salem?
Boise City is 6.9% more expensive than Winston-Salem. The overall cost index is 98.4 vs 92.0 (national average = 100).
What salary in Boise City equals $100K in Winston-Salem?
A $100,000 salary in Winston-Salem has the same purchasing power as $106,897 in Boise City. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Winston-Salem and Boise City?
Rents in Winston-Salem are indexed at 71.4 while Boise City is at 105.6 (national average = 100). Boise City has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.