$100K in Boise = $88,571 in Wilmington

Your $100K salary in Boise (COL 105) has the same purchasing power as $88,571 in Wilmington (COL 93). Wilmington is cheaper โ€” your money goes 11% further there.

$100K in Boise, ID
$5,838/mo take-home
Rent: $1,600/mo (27% of take-home)
Comfortable
$88,571/yr in Wilmington, NC
$5,266/mo take-home
Rent: $1,550/mo (29% of take-home)
Manageable

Budget breakdown โ€” $100K in both cities

What $100K actually buys you in each city after taxes and core expenses.

Expense
Boise
$100K
Wilmington
$100K (same salary)
Monthly take-home$5,838$5,946
1BR rent$1,600$1,550
Groceries$372$372
Transport$45$45
Utilities$145$158
Internet$60$62
Left after essentials$3,616/month$3,759/month
To match your Boise purchasing power in Wilmington, you'd need to earn $88,571/year (11% less than $100K). At that salary, you'd have $3,079/mo left after essentials โ€” vs $3,616/mo in Boise.

Frequently asked questions

What is $100K in Boise equivalent to in Wilmington?

$100K in Boise (COL index 105) has the same purchasing power as $88,571 in Wilmington (COL index 93). That's 11% less than your current salary.

If I move from Boise to Wilmington keeping my $100K salary, will I be better off?

Yes. If you keep earning $100K after moving to Wilmington, you'd have $143 more per month after core expenses โ€” because Wilmington is cheaper than Boise.

How is the salary equivalent calculated?

The equivalent salary is calculated by multiplying your current salary by the ratio of the two cities' overall cost of living indices: $100K ร— (93 รท 105) = $88,571. This adjusts for differences in housing, food, transport, and general cost of living.

Equivalency uses overall COL index ratio. Take-home uses simplified federal/state brackets. Zillow ยท BLS ยท Numbeo ยท Q1 2026 ยท For general guidance only