City comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 12.6% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $112,600 in Los Angeles, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,085 a month in Los Angeles, CA versus $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT. On $100,000, that's 34% of take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA and 23% in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,536 a year higher in Los Angeles, CA than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −14.2% moving from Los Angeles, CA to Salt Lake City, UT ($124,085 → $106,437), while prices change by −11.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.4% in real buying power.
- Los Angeles, CA: price level 113.6 (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
| Los Angeles, CA | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 113.6 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,819 in Salt Lake City | $112,589 in Los Angeles |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,085/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 34% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,850 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Los Angeles | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 170.4 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 106.6 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 158.6 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 113.6 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Los Angeles, CA → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,536/yr.
100 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Los Angeles, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.2%; rent takes 34% of take-home; state tax +$1,536/yr.
24 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Los Angeles, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Los Angeles, CA to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Los Angeles, CA | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Los Angeles → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $61,722 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $74,678 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $89,508 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $106,437 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $125,776 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Los Angeles, CA | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Los Angeles dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $101,860 | $77,920 | $87,729 (−13.9%) |
| Software Developers | $160,920 | $129,600 | $145,915 (−9.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,360 | $82,100 | $92,435 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $135,560 | $85,890 | $96,702 (−28.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.