City comparison
Buffalo, NY 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 5.2% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $105,200 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 $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,326 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Buffalo, NY to Salt Lake City, UT ($111,301 → $106,437), while prices change by +5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.1% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (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
| Buffalo, NY | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,242 in Salt Lake City | $95,019 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,326/yr.
53 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,326/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Buffalo → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $61,722 | −9.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $74,678 | −9.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $89,508 | −9.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $106,437 | −9.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $125,776 | −9.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $77,920 | $74,039 (−3.2%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $129,600 | $123,145 (−3.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $82,100 | $78,011 (−5.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $85,890 | $81,612 (−17.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.