City comparison
Boston, MA vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 7.3% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $107,300 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 23% in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,246 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.7% moving from Boston, MA to Salt Lake City, UT ($120,548 → $106,437), while prices change by −6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.2% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- 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
| Boston, MA | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,167 in Salt Lake City | $107,334 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,246/yr.
92 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.8%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,246/yr.
25 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Boston → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $61,722 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $74,678 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $89,508 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $106,437 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $125,776 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $77,920 | $83,635 (−14.7%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $129,600 | $139,105 (−16.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $82,100 | $88,121 (−12.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $85,890 | $92,189 (−13.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.