Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Salt Lake City, UT

For one person, living is cheaper in Salt Lake City, UT: $2,701 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in Salt Lake City, UT
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Salt Lake City, UT Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Salt Lake City, UT

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in Salt Lake City, UT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,950 per month in New York, NY vs $2,701 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent included.

New York, NY $4,950
Salt Lake City, UT $2,701

A couple spends around $7,265 per month in New York, NY vs $3,887 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent included.

New York, NY $7,265
Salt Lake City, UT $3,887

A family of three spends $9,581 per month in New York, NY vs $5,074 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent included.

New York, NY $9,581
Salt Lake City, UT $5,074

New York, NY costs about 83% more than Salt Lake City, UT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Salt Lake City, UT sit above the global median – New York, NY by 267%, Salt Lake City, UT by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$18.33 $18.33

34.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$72.4 $72.4

67.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$10.07 $10.07

38.13%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.01 $5.01

31.54%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.25 $2.25

70.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.72 $1.72

66.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$5.91 $5.91

31.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$7.90 $7.90

24.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.89 $0.89

55.06%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.79 $3.79

23.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$4.20 $4.20

79.52%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$4.19 $4.19

41.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$11.98 $11.98

57.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$12.05 $12.05

44.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$17.00 $17.00

8.88%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.01 $4.01

68.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.43 $1.43

46.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$3.72 $3.72

63.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$3.86 $3.86

74.61%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.21 $2.21

83.26%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.46 $2.46

77.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.87 $1.87

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.86 $1.86

39.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.02 $10.02

86.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$14.75 $14.75

36.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.65 $2.65

22.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.26 $3.26

14.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.54 $2.54

20.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$86.5 $86.5

62.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.48 $2.48

22.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.36 $2.36

-8.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$24.86 $24.86

68.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.15 $1.15

-2.61%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.5K $35.5K

$36.4K $36.4K

-2.55%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.7K $25.7K

1.48%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$192 $192

14.22%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$73.2 $73.2

$49.40 $49.40

48.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$78.7 $78.7

-8.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$35.13 $35.13

249.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

$26.90 $26.90

151.56%

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$15.02 $15.02

52.13%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,333 $3,333

$1,282 $1,282

159.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$20.7K $20.7K

189.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$72.4 $72.4

3.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$46.19 $46.19

13.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$110 $110

10.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$109 $109

21.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$1,668 $1,668

163.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$1,373 $1,373

127.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$2,887 $2,887

208.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$2,149 $2,149

149.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$4,211 $4,211

360.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$2,939 $2,939

131.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$4,197 $4,197

27.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.46

5.57%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for Salt Lake City, UT: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

Salt Lake City, UT

$1.4K 50.9% 56.1% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Salt Lake City, UT

$381 14.1% 30.1% $164

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Salt Lake City, UT

$298 11% 26.1% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Salt Lake City, UT

$320 11.8% 12.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Salt Lake City, UT

$152 5.6% 11.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Salt Lake City, UT

$65 2.4% 61.3% $103

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Salt Lake City, UT

$111 4.1% 33.4% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,389 in New York, NY versus $1,668 in Salt Lake City, UT. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 27% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in New York, NY versus $72.0 in Salt Lake City, UT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $545 vs $381 – making Salt Lake City, UT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🕒 Local time

20:20 8:20 PM

18:20 6:20 PM

2 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

200,133

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY Salt Lake City, UT 3,150 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Salt Lake City, UT

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

New York, NY vs Salt Lake City, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 83% more than Salt Lake City, UT, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,424 per month in New York, NY and $4,051 in Salt Lake City, UT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salt Lake City, UT, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $3,333 per month in New York, NY and $1,282 in Salt Lake City, UT. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,950 in New York, NY and $2,701 in Salt Lake City, UT. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Salt Lake City, UT costs $2,701 versus $4,950 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Salt Lake City, UT. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.