Overall
100.9
+0.9 above avg
2024 BEA RPP All 4 categories Federal source
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT
Cost-of-living indicators for Salt Lake City-Murray, UT, compiled from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2024 data year). Categories include All Items, Goods, Services, and Rents.
CBSA: 41620 · Data year: 2024 · Rank: #73 of 387
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT has a cost of living index of 100.9, meaning it's 0.9% more expensive than the national average. Goods cost 3.6% less, services 21.0% less, and rents are 23.3% above average. A $100K national salary has the purchasing power of $99,139 here.
What the Numbers Mean for Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City ranks #73 of 387 U.S. metro areas measured by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, placing it in the top quartile for cost. With an overall Regional Price Parity of 100.9, Salt Lake City-Murray, UT is 0.9% more expensive than the national baseline of 100. The gap between Salt Lake City's most and least expensive categories — rents at 123.3 versus services at 79.0 — is what drives the household budget experience on the ground, not the single headline number.
Translated into dollars, a nationally-benchmarked $100,000 salary carries the purchasing power of $99,139 inside Salt Lake City, while a household needs roughly $100,868 here to match a $100K lifestyle elsewhere. Rents carry the biggest swing in the BEA formula and are indexed at 123.3 — 23.3% above the national average — so anyone weighing a move or a remote-work arbitrage should treat the housing line as the single largest variable in the equation.
Looking at the 2008-2024 trajectory, Salt Lake City's overall index has risen by 2.4 points, signaling tightening affordability. For the 2024 data year, goods are indexed at 96.4 and services at 79.0, meaning everyday spending in Salt Lake City is governed more by the services and rent mix than by retail goods prices. Readers comparing multiple destinations should always pair the RPP headline with local wage data and housing costs before drawing relocation conclusions.
Salt Lake City Cost Index at a Glance
Salt Lake City all-items cost index
Regional Price Parity vs national average (100)
Salt Lake City category breakdown
BEA RPP composition by goods, services, rents, overall
Price Index Summary
Goods
96.4
-3.6 below avg
Services
79.0
-21.0 below avg
Rents
123.3
+23.3 above avg
Price Index vs National Average (100)
Overall
National avg
Index 100.9 (+0.9 vs national avg)
Goods
National avg
Index 96.4 (-3.6 vs national avg)
Services
National avg
Index 79.0 (-21.0 vs national avg)
Rents
National avg
Index 123.3 (+23.3 vs national avg)
Vertical line on each bar = national average (100)
Cost Breakdown Analysis
Above National Average
Rents +23.3% (123.3)
Overall +0.9% (100.9)
Below National Average
Services -21.0% (79.0)
Goods -3.6% (96.4)
Income Adequacy in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City income adequacy score
$75,000 median income vs RPP 100.9
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$100,868
in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$50,434
$75,000 nationally
$75,651
$125,000 nationally
$126,085
$150,000 nationally
$151,302
$200,000 nationally
$201,736
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has been trending upward, increasing by 2.4 points over this period.
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.5 |
| 2009 | 102.0 |
| 2010 | 99.2 |
| 2011 | 102.7 |
| 2012 | 102.2 |
| 2013 | 100.9 |
| 2014 | 100.3 |
| 2015 | 99.1 |
| 2016 | 98.3 |
| 2017 | 100.5 |
| 2018 | 97.8 |
| 2019 | 99.6 |
| 2020 | 97.3 |
| 2021 | 96.1 |
| 2022 | 95.8 |
| 2023 | 97.1 |
| 2024 | 100.9 |
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Salt Lake City-Murray, UT's index of 100.9.
Related Data for Salt Lake City
Salary Data
BLS occupation wages for Salt Lake City area
Fair Market Rents
HUD rent data for Salt Lake City metro
Crime Rates
FBI UCR crime data near Salt Lake City
School Districts
NCES school data for Salt Lake City area
ZIP Code Data
Census demographics for Salt Lake City area
Life Score
Quality-of-life composite rating
Relocation Guide
7-dimension relocation intelligence
Cost of Living Guides
Cheapest Metros to Live in 2026
Official BEA data on the most affordable areas
Most Expensive Cities: 2026 Rankings
What drives high costs and how to cope
Salary Negotiation Using RPP Data
Calculate real purchasing power for negotiations
Comparing Metro Areas
Step-by-step BEA RPP comparison walkthrough
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT? ▼
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 100.9, meaning it is 0.9% more expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 96.4, services at 79.0, and rents at 123.3. It ranks #73 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT to match $100K nationally? ▼
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $100,868 in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT. Conversely, $100K earned in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT has the purchasing power of $99,139 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT? ▼
Rents in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT are indexed at 123.3, which is 23.3% above the national average. This is significantly higher than typical U.S. rents.
Is Salt Lake City-Murray, UT getting more expensive? ▼
From 2008 to 2024, Salt Lake City-Murray, UT's overall cost index changed by +2.4 points (from 98.5 to 100.9). The cost of living has been trending upward.
What costs the most in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT? ▼
The most expensive category in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT is rents at 123.3, which is 23.3% above the national average. The most affordable category is services at 79.0, 21.0% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Salt Lake City-Murray, UT? ▼
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Ann Arbor, Bakersfield-Delano, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Salt Lake City-Murray, UT's 100.9.
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by Metropolitan Statistical Area (2024). Index where national average = 100.
Related
Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCost Editorial
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) — cost-of-living indices by metro and state. bea.gov/data/regional-price-parities
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI) — inflation context by metro. bls.gov/cpi
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) — housing-cost component. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — wage component. bls.gov/oes
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS — household income + demographics. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
- IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) — tax-burden context. irs.gov/statistics
