City comparison
Salt Lake City, UT vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 10.0% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $110,000 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 23% in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,536 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Salt Lake City, UT to Urban Honolulu, HI ($106,437 → $111,119), while prices change by +10.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.1% in real buying power.
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Salt Lake City, UT | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,006 in Urban Honolulu | $90,904 in Salt Lake City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,456/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,240 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Salt Lake City-Murray, UT and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salt Lake City | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.3 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 79.0 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salt Lake City, UT → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,536/yr.
28 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$2,536/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salt Lake City, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Salt Lake City, UT to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salt Lake City, UT | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Salt Lake City → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,438 | −5.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,964 | −5.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,445 | −5.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,119 | −5.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,310 | −5.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salt Lake City, UT | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Salt Lake City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,920 | $73,080 | $66,433 (−14.7%) |
| Software Developers | $129,600 | $120,230 | $109,294 (−15.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,100 | $74,990 | $68,169 (−17.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $85,890 | $139,260 | $126,593 (+47.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.