City comparison
Montgomery, AL 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 12.5% higher than in Montgomery, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Montgomery, AL would need about $112,500 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 $870 in Montgomery, AL. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 14% in Montgomery, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,201 a year higher in Montgomery, AL 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 Montgomery, AL to Salt Lake City, UT changes real buying power by −11.1%, purely from prices.
- Montgomery, AL: price level 89.7 (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
| Montgomery, AL | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.7 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,473 in Salt Lake City | $88,910 in Montgomery |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $870/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,950 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Montgomery, AL MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Montgomery, AL and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Montgomery | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.3 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 84.9 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 89.7 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Montgomery, AL → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,201/yr.
38 Weak offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Montgomery, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.5%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$1,201/yr.
100 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 Montgomery, AL to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Montgomery, AL | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Montgomery → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −11.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −11.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −11.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −11.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −11.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Montgomery, AL | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Montgomery dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,610 | $77,920 | $69,279 (+16.2%) |
| Software Developers | $110,620 | $129,600 | $115,228 (+4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,040 | $82,100 | $72,995 (−2.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,570 | $85,890 | $76,365 (−4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.