City comparison
Providence, RI vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Providence, RI (101.8) and Salt Lake City, UT (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Providence, RI goes as far as $99,100 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,402 a month in Providence, RI and $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $386 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Providence, RI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.7% moving from Providence, RI to Salt Lake City, UT ($120,548 → $106,437), while prices change by −0.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.9% in real buying power.
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
- 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
| Providence, RI | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 101.8 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,111 in Salt Lake City | $100,897 in Providence |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,402/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (RI) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $53,680 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Providence | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 103.9 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 97.1 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 102.3 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 101.8 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Providence, RI → Salt Lake City, UT
Roughly even
Buying power +0.9%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$386/yr.
72 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Providence, RI
Roughly even
Buying power −0.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$386/yr.
66 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Providence, RI is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Providence, RI to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Providence, RI | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Providence → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $61,722 | −10.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $74,678 | −10.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $89,508 | −10.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $106,437 | −10.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $125,776 | −10.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Providence, RI | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Providence dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $86,720 | $77,920 | $78,619 (−9.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $129,600 | $130,763 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,020 | $82,100 | $82,837 (−12.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,880 | $85,890 | $86,661 (−13.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.