City comparison
Columbia, SC 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 7.7% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $107,700 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 $1,164 in Columbia, SC. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 19% in Columbia, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,309 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- 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 Columbia, SC to Salt Lake City, UT changes real buying power by −7.1%, purely from prices.
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (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
| Columbia, SC | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.7 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,694 in Salt Lake City | $92,856 in Columbia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,164/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,337 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,843 (SC) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,430 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbia, SC and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbia | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.5 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 88.3 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.3 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 93.7 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbia, SC → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,309/yr.
46 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Columbia, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,309/yr.
93 Strong 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 Columbia, SC to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbia, SC | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Columbia → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −7.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −7.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −7.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −7.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −7.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbia, SC | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Columbia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,050 | $77,920 | $72,353 (+20.5%) |
| Software Developers | $123,380 | $129,600 | $120,341 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $69,210 | $82,100 | $76,235 (+10.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,920 | $85,890 | $79,754 (−2.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.