Garden City, ID vs Mountain Home, ID

There is a significant gap in the cost of living between these two cities. Mountain Home is 18.2% cheaper than Garden City. With a cost index of 87 vs 103, the difference would have a meaningful impact on a household's monthly budget. Someone relocating from Mountain Home to Garden City should plan for substantially higher expenses across most categories.

On the housing front, median rent in Garden City is $1,206/month compared to $1,061/month in Mountain Home — a 14% difference. Home values follow the same pattern: Mountain Home is more affordable at $270,700 median vs $411,400.

Median household income in Garden City is $66,859 compared to $58,486 in Mountain Home (+14.3%). The higher salaries in Garden City partially offset the cost difference, but don't fully close the gap. Looking at affordability, residents of Garden City spend roughly 21.6% of their income on rent, less than the 21.8% in Mountain Home.