Cost of Living in Salt Lake City, Utah
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Salt Lake City, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 218,428
- Median household income
- $77,186
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 100.9
- Unemployment rate
- 5.6%
Is Salt Lake City a good place to live?
Salt Lake City is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 147 of the 178 other large US cities we track.
A typical worker in Salt Lake City keeps $11,413 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living1% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,356 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- Taxes$2,001 of state income tax on a typical wage
Cost of living in Salt Lake City
Prices in the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT area run 1% above the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 23% above the US average.
- Housing23% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- Utilities21% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)1% below the US average
- All items1% above the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,356 | $16,272 |
| Food | $476 | $5,712 |
| Transportation | $376 | $4,512 |
| Healthcare | $348 | $4,176 |
| Utilities | $206 | $2,472 |
| Total before taxes | $2,762 | $33,144 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Salt Lake City | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,191 | $1,202 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,356 | $1,349 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,624 | $1,615 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,157 | $2,143 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,462 | $2,439 |
Living in Salt Lake City
How Salt Lake City compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Salt Lake City | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $77,186 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $620,100 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,440 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 55.9% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 14.7% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 52.9% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 32.6 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 19.6 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 17.5% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 5.9% | 3.7% |
Home internet
10 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Salt Lake City, led by Xfinity, Google Fiber, T-Mobile, Quantum Fiber. Fiber reaches 79.6% of homes and 98.6% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Salt Lake City
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 19.6 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Paychecks go further. A typical worker keeps $11,413 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs, more than in 147 of 178 large cities.
- Fast home internet. 98.6% of homes can get gigabit speeds (FCC).
- Highly educated workforce. 52.9% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 36.9% nationally.
Cons
- Pricey homes to buy. The median home is worth $620,100, against $360,600 nationally.
What your job keeps in Salt Lake City
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $55,240
- Federal income tax
- −$4,449
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,226
- State income tax
- −$2,001
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$16,272
- Everyday costs
- −$16,879
a year, or $951 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Salt Lake City-Murray, UT. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $136,990 | $65,582 |
| Software engineer | $129,600 | $60,865 |
| Project manager | $98,000 | $40,212 |
| Registered nurse | $85,890 | $32,323 |
| Accountant | $82,100 | $29,877 |
| Teacher | $81,252 | $29,330 |
| Electrician | $62,620 | $16,916 |
| Truck driver | $62,310 | $16,684 |
| Carpenter | $59,870 | $14,865 |
| Nursing assistant | $40,510 | $432 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Salt Lake City on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $5,479
- Civil engineer $40,739
- Data scientist $51,399
- Dental assistant −$1,193
- Dental hygienist $37,795
- Dentist $61,446
- Diesel mechanic $18,838
- Financial analyst $35,687
- Firefighter $14,328
- HVAC technician $15,551
- Licensed practical nurse $20,112
- Lineman $55,529
- Mechanical engineer $42,516
- Medical assistant $4,584
- Nurse practitioner $60,705
- Occupational therapist $41,516
- Paralegal $18,444
- Paramedic $22,996
- Pharmacist $71,982
- Pharmacy technician $6,947
- Physical therapist $44,057
- Physician assistant $61,273
- Plumber $18,540
- Police officer $29,149
- Radiologic technologist $29,277
- Respiratory therapist $27,863
- Social worker $21,714
- Speech-language pathologist $43,992
- Veterinarian $56,983
- Welder $15,103
Compare Salt Lake City with other cities
Compare Salt Lake City with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Salt Lake City
15 licensed interstate movers are based in Salt Lake City, and 12 more elsewhere in the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Salt Lake City, UT a good place to live?
Salt Lake City is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 147 of the 178 other large US cities we track. The typical worker here earns $55,240 and keeps $11,413 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Salt Lake City?
Prices in the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT area are 1% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,356 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,407 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Salt Lake City?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $40,000 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT area earns $55,240.
What is the average rent in Salt Lake City?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,191 for a studio, $1,356 for a 1-bedroom and $1,624 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Salt Lake City at $1,440 a month (2024).
Does Salt Lake City have a state or city income tax?
Yes. On a typical wage of $55,240, Utah state income tax comes to about $2,001 a year. Salt Lake City has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Salt Lake City?
10 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Salt Lake City, led by Xfinity, Google Fiber, T-Mobile, Quantum Fiber. 79.6% of homes can get fiber and 98.6% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate