Salt Lake County · Utah
Salt Lake City cost of living (UT)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Salt Lake City-Murray, UT, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Salt Lake City costs in line with the national average — all-items price level 100.9, rank 47 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $100,868 here. Housing is the reason, at 123.3.
- All items
- 100.9US average = 100
- Housing
- 123.323.3% above the national average
- Goods
- 96.43.6% below the national average
- Other services
- 99.01.0% below the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 96.4 | -3.6% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 123.3 | +23.3% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 79.0 | -21.0% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 99.0 | -1.0% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
Reading the Salt Lake City price level
What the 100.9 figure actually means for a household here.
Salt Lake City prices sit 0.9% above the US average — an all-items parity of 100.9, rank 47 of 94 covered metros. Effectively the national average. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Housing drives it: 123.3, 23.3% above average. Utilities pull the other way at 79.0. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 44.3 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Salt Lake City do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $100,868 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $79,150 median household income in Salt Lake City is worth $78,469 in national-average dollars, 0.1% below the $78,538 US median. Local pay does not cover the local price level.
Parities are published for Salt Lake City-Murray, UT as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
What your salary is worth in Salt Lake City, UT
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (100.9 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $78,469
- Needed to match US average
- $79,837
- Monthly difference
- $57
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$79,150 median household income in Salt Lake City is worth $78,469 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 100.9.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is Salt Lake City expensive?
- Yes — 0.9% above the US average, rank 47 of 94 covered metros. housing is the component furthest from average at 123.3.
- What salary do you need to live in Salt Lake City, UT?
- $100,868 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $79,150, worth $78,469 after adjusting for the 100.9 price level.
- Why is the cost of living high in Salt Lake City?
- Housing at 123.3 versus utilities at 79.0. A 44.3-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More Salt Lake City data
Other Salt Lake City datasets on this site.
- Salt Lake City population and income
- Salt Lake City sales tax rate
- Salt Lake City property tax
- Salt Lake City home values and rent
- Salt Lake City crime rates
- Salt Lake City public schools
- Salt Lake City weather normals
- Salt Lake City commute times
- Salt Lake City jobs and wages
Statewide: Utah cities · Utah ZIP codes · Utah sales tax · Utah counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Salt Lake City-Murray, UT. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.