City comparison
Columbus, GA 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 13.0% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $113,000 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,033 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Columbus, GA to Salt Lake City, UT ($112,556 → $106,437), while prices change by +13.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −16.3% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much 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
| Columbus, GA | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,959 in Salt Lake City | $88,528 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,033/yr.
38 Weak offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.0%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,033/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Columbus → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $61,722 | −16.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $74,678 | −16.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,508 | −16.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,437 | −16.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $125,776 | −16.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $77,920 | $68,981 (+12.4%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $129,600 | $114,732 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $82,100 | $72,681 (−1.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $85,890 | $76,036 (−7.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.