City comparison
Albuquerque, NM 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 5.6% higher than in Albuquerque, NM. Someone earning $100,000 in Albuquerque, NM would need about $105,600 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 $1,185 in Albuquerque, NM. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 19% in Albuquerque, NM.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,569 a year in NM and $3,534 in UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Albuquerque, NM to Salt Lake City, UT ($107,592 → $106,437), while prices change by +5.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.3% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- 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
| Albuquerque, NM | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,570 in Salt Lake City | $94,724 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,611 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,569 (NM) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$35/yr.
52 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$35/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Albuquerque → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $61,722 | −6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $74,678 | −6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $89,508 | −6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $106,437 | −6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $125,776 | −6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $77,920 | $73,809 (−2.3%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $129,600 | $122,762 (−0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $82,100 | $77,768 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $85,890 | $81,358 (−15.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.