City comparison
Cape Coral, FL vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 1.5% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $101,500 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL and 23% in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Cape Coral, FL.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Cape Coral, FL to Salt Lake City, UT changes real buying power by +1.5%, purely from prices.
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (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
| Cape Coral, FL | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.3 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,553 in Salt Lake City | $101,468 in Cape Coral |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,638/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,780 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cape Coral | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 86.9 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 102.3 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cape Coral, FL → Salt Lake City, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +1.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
73 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Cape Coral, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Cape Coral, FL to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cape Coral, FL | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Cape Coral → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +1.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +1.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +1.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +1.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +1.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cape Coral, FL | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Cape Coral dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,470 | $77,920 | $79,064 (+30.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,940 | $129,600 | $131,503 (+3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,420 | $82,100 | $83,305 (+4.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,860 | $85,890 | $87,151 (+5.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.