City comparison
Phoenix, AZ vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 2.4% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $102,400 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 23% in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,243 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Phoenix, AZ to Salt Lake City, UT ($111,338 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.1% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (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
| Phoenix, AZ | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,631 in Salt Lake City | $102,427 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,243/yr.
76 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,243/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Phoenix → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $61,722 | −2.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $74,678 | −2.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $89,508 | −2.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $106,437 | −2.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $125,776 | −2.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $77,920 | $79,811 (+34.9%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $129,600 | $132,745 (+0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $82,100 | $84,093 (+4.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $85,890 | $87,974 (−12.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.