City comparison
Salt Lake City, UT vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 14.6% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $114,600 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 23% in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,536 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Salt Lake City, UT.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Salt Lake City, UT to San Francisco, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +14.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.1% in real buying power.
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Salt Lake City, UT | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.9 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,618 in San Francisco | $87,246 in Salt Lake City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,456/mo | $2,977/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 | 23% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,240 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Salt Lake City-Murray, UT and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salt Lake City | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 123.3 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 79.0 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 100.9 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salt Lake City, UT → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.8%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,536/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,536/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salt Lake City, UT is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Salt Lake City, UT to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salt Lake City, UT | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Salt Lake City → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +9.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +9.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +9.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +9.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +9.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salt Lake City, UT | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Salt Lake City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,920 | $101,860 | $88,869 (+14.1%) |
| Software Developers | $129,600 | $186,640 | $162,836 (+25.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,100 | $110,730 | $96,608 (+17.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $85,890 | $186,610 | $162,810 (+89.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.