City comparison
Orlando, FL vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Orlando, FL (101.4) and Salt Lake City, UT (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Orlando, FL goes as far as $99,500 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,731 a month in Orlando, FL versus $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Orlando, FL and 23% in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Orlando, FL.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Orlando, FL to Salt Lake City, UT changes real buying power by +0.5%, purely from prices.
- Orlando, FL: price level 101.4 (about average)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Orlando, FL | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.4 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,458 in Salt Lake City | $100,545 in Orlando |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,731/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,630 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Orlando | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.4 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 87.2 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 101.4 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Orlando, FL → Salt Lake City, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
70 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Orlando, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
65 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Orlando, FL to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Orlando, FL | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Orlando → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Orlando, FL | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Orlando dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,190 | $77,920 | $78,345 (+30.2%) |
| Software Developers | $129,620 | $129,600 | $130,307 (+0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,630 | $82,100 | $82,548 (+5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,550 | $85,890 | $86,358 (+3.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.