City comparison
Salt Lake City, UT vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 13.1% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $113,100 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 $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $421 a year higher in Tulsa, OK than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- 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 Salt Lake City, UT to Tulsa, OK changes real buying power by +13.1%, purely from prices.
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Salt Lake City, UT | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,446 in Tulsa | $113,063 in Salt Lake City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,456/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,240 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Salt Lake City-Murray, UT and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salt Lake City | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.3 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 79.0 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salt Lake City, UT → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.1%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$421/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$421/yr.
38 Weak 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 Salt Lake City, UT to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salt Lake City, UT | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Salt Lake City → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +13.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +13.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +13.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +13.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +13.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salt Lake City, UT | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Salt Lake City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,920 | $48,220 | $54,519 (−30.0%) |
| Software Developers | $129,600 | $108,730 | $122,933 (−5.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,100 | $81,320 | $91,943 (+12.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $85,890 | $84,790 | $95,866 (+11.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.