How Much Does It Cost to Live In Salt Lake City, UT?
Salt Lake City is the capital and largest city of Utah and one of the largest cities in the Southwest region of the United States.
It’s a very liberal city: Salt Lake tends to be like an oasis for gay people, minorities, liberals, etc. to live in the State more comfortably.
It’s also an outdoorsy city, being so close to the mountains.
There’s a lot of hiking, skiing, mountain biking, etc.
It basically feels like a mini city.
The cost of living is really low, one of the lowest in the country.
United States : Cost of Living by City
- Albany, NY
- Albuquerque, NM
- Anchorage, AK
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Arlington, TX
- Asheville, NC
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Bakersfield, CA
- Baltimore, MD
- Bellevue, WA
- Bellingham, WA
- Berkeley, CA
- Birmingham, AL
- Boise, ID
- Boston, MA
- Boulder, CO
- Brooklyn, NY
- Buffalo, NY
- Burlington, VT
- Charleston, SC
- Charlotte, NC
- Chattanooga, TN
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbia, SC
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Dayton, OH
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Detroit, MI
- El Paso, TX
- Eugene, OR
- Everett, WA
- Fayetteville, AR
- Fort Myers, FL
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Fort Worth, TX
- Fresno, CA
- Gainesville, FL
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Greensboro, NC
- Hartford, CT
- Honolulu, HI
- Houston, TX
- Huntsville, AL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Irvine, CA
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jersey City, NJ
- Kansas City, MO
- Knoxville, TN
- Las Vegas, NV
- Lexington, KY
- Little Rock, AR
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Lubbock, TX
- Madison, WI
- Memphis, TN
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Nashville, TN
- New Orleans, LA
- New York, NY
- Oakland, CA
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Olympia, WA
- Orlando, FL
- Peoria, IL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, ME
- Portland, OR
- Raleigh, NC
- Reno, NV
- Richmond, VA
- Rochester, NY
- Sacramento, CA
- Saint Louis, MO
- Saint Paul, MN
- Saint Petersburg, FL
- Salem, OR
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Springfield, MO
- Syracuse, NY
- Tacoma, WA
- Tallahassee, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Toledo, OH
- Tucson, AZ
- Tulsa, OK
- Vancouver, WA
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Washington, DC
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Wichita, KS
RESTAURANTS
There are options for food in Salt Lake Cities, though the food scene isn’t exactly known for variety.
However, though it’s obviously no New York, there are still some great options around the entire city for sushi, Vietnamese, Greek, etc. and the prices are more than reasonable at around 17$ per meal.
MARKETS
When it comes to groceries, of course, if you cook at home, you can save a bunch of money.
However, one good thing about being in a city located in a naturally rich country is the fresh food!
You can always buy fresh fruits and vegetables directly from the farmers at many open markets here.
Local shops are open till late or simply work 24/7.
TRANSPORTATION
Standard one-way fares for public transport are 2.50$.
A day pass (which is good for both bus and TRAX light rail rides) is 5.50$, and most of downtown is a free fare zone for all UTA services (bus and light rail).
Salt Lake City offers trails and paths through the city and around the city for bicyclists so you can move around the city for free!
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
As far as utilities go in Salt Lake City, your best bet would be to ask about the cost of bills before you rent the place.
Basic utilities like electricity, water, gas, and garbage services in an apartment of 85m2 will cost you around 140$, which is relatively cheap.
The internet in Salt Lake City, however, is pretty pricey, costing around 64$.
SPORTS & LEISURE
The city is known as a base for outdoor activities and you can head out to one of the many nearby ski resorts just east of the city.
Being so close to the mountains means there’s a lot of hiking, skiing, mountain biking, etc.
There are also a lot of bodies of water close by for jet skiing, fishing, boating, etc. so you’ll surely have fun here.
Fitness clubs and gyms cost only around 30$.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Main Street is a recently revitalized area that is home to many ethnic restaurants, specialty shops, and the City Creek Center, which is a large facility with an open-air mall.
Here, you can buy quality jeans for no less than 62$, and running sneakers from brands like Nike for over 80$.
Lighter pieces of clothing will cost you around 40$.
RENT PER MONTH
Rent is reasonable in most areas of Salt Lake City.
The cost of rent depends on where you want to live: for example, should you choose a flat in the city center, you’ll probably have a great apartment in a great location but that means you’ll have to pay around 1,648.86$.
If you’re looking for an apartment outside of the city, the prices will drop to around 1,296.43$.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Salt Lake City, UT
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $17.0 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $5.75 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.73 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.95 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $3.63 |
| Eggs (12) | $3.54 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $2.50 |
| Monthly Pass | $85.00 |
| Gasoline | $1.05 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $140.83 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.17 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $63.71 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $30.00 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $8.00 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $12.00 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $61.89 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $40.20 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $78.89 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $1648.86 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $1296.43 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $2743.58 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Salt Lake City, UT?
Not surprisingly, since the rent prices are somewhat high in Salt Lake City (higher than in most Utah cities), an average person living in this city, spends a higher percentage of their salary on rent, than they do on food.
In that sense, the biggest expenses for people living in Salt Lake City, are definitely both rent and food.
Rents have skyrocketed over the last few years due to an increase in tourism.
Apart from rent and food, restaurants and transportation also share the same amount of percentages of people’s everyday expenses.
Clothing and shoes take up the smallest part of one’s income in Salt Lake City.
Average Costs Breakdown
Salt Lake City, UT: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
Utah is fairly affordable at the moment but prices are going up each year, unfortunately.
The wages here are some of the best in America and they’re about to grow even more: the minimum wage here, for now, is around 1200$, but the average salary in Salt Lake City is over 4500$ (which is higher than in most cities).
With this kind of income, people can rent an apartment, eat, have fun, travel, and even save with such a salary.
However, even though the salaries are high – many people working in tourism, for example, don’t get to earn that much and actually earn a much lower rate per hour.
Salt Lake City Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Salt Lake City Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
