City comparison
Provo, UT vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 11.0% higher than in Provo, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Provo, UT would need about $111,000 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 20% in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,536 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Provo, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Provo, UT to Salinas, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +11.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.6% in real buying power.
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Provo, UT | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,005 in Salinas | $90,086 in Provo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,265/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,010 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Provo | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.1 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 78.6 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Provo, UT → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.9%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,536/yr.
21 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Provo, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$1,536/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Provo, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Provo, UT to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Provo, UT | Salinas, CA | Real change, Provo → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +12.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +12.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +12.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +12.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +12.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Provo, UT | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Provo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $100,220 | $90,285 (+43.5%) |
| Software Developers | $131,210 | $135,160 | $121,761 (−7.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,700 | $83,810 | $75,501 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,780 | $134,910 | $121,536 (+48.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.