City comparison
Provo, UT vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 2.7% higher than in Provo, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Provo, UT would need about $102,700 in Salt Lake City, UT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 20% in Provo, UT.
- Both are in UT, so estimated state income tax is the same: $3,534 a year on $100,000.
- 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 Provo, UT to Salt Lake City, UT changes real buying power by −2.6%, purely from prices.
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (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
| Provo, UT | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,683 in Salt Lake City | $97,387 in Provo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,265/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,010 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Provo | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.1 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 78.6 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Provo, UT → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
61 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Provo, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
77 Strong 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 Provo, UT to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Provo, UT | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Provo → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Provo, UT | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Provo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $77,920 | $75,884 (+20.6%) |
| Software Developers | $131,210 | $129,600 | $126,213 (−3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,700 | $82,100 | $79,954 (+5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,780 | $85,890 | $83,645 (+2.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.