Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salt Lake City, UT and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Salt Lake City, UT and in Austin, TX: $2,701 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

131

Cost of Living Index in Salt Lake City, UT
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Salt Lake City, UT Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

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Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salt Lake City, UT and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,701 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Salt Lake City, UT $2,701
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,887 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Salt Lake City, UT $3,887
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,074 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Salt Lake City, UT $5,074
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Salt Lake City, UT is roughly 1% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Salt Lake City, UT 100% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 $18.33

$20.77 $20.77

-11.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 $72.4

$84.6 $84.6

-14.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$12.32 $12.32

-18.26%

Cappuccino

$5.01 $5.01

$5.63 $5.63

-11.01%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$3.72 $3.72

-39.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.50 $2.50

-31.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$8.05 $8.05

-26.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 $7.90

$9.01 $9.01

-12.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.12 $1.12

-20.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.75 $3.75

1.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.26 $3.26

28.83%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$4.17 $4.17

0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 $11.98

$12.90 $12.90

-7.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.05 $12.05

$14.16 $14.16

-14.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 $17.00

$16.22 $16.22

4.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.33 $4.33

-7.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.46 $1.46

-2.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.51 $4.51

-17.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$4.34 $4.34

-11.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.58 $2.58

-14.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.35 $2.35

4.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.78 $1.78

5.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.22 $2.22

-16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$9.88 $9.88

1.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$15.08 $15.08

-2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.92 $2.92

-9.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.46 $3.46

-5.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.49 $1.49

70.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.5 $86.5

$41.72 $41.72

107.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.73 $2.73

-9.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.66 $1.66

42.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.86 $24.86

$35.30 $35.30

-29.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$0.95 $0.95

21.05%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.92%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$27.1K $27.1K

-5.23%

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

$192 $192

$229 $229

-16.26%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$59.4 $59.4

-16.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.7 $78.7

$69.9 $69.9

12.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.13 $35.13

$57.2 $57.2

-38.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.90 $26.90

$16.33 $16.33

64.73%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$14.28 $14.28

5.18%

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

$1,282 $1,282

$1,506 $1,506

-14.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K $20.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

-3.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 $72.4

$52.8 $52.8

37.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.19 $46.19

$43.82 $43.82

5.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$84.8 $84.8

29.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$103 $103

6.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 $1,668

$1,907 $1,907

-12.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 $1,373

$1,274 $1,274

7.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,887 $2,887

$3,664 $3,664

-21.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 $2,149

$2,538 $2,538

-15.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 $4,211

$7,614 $7,614

-44.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,939 $2,939

$3,157 $3,157

-6.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,197 $4,197

$5,121 $5,121

-18.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.79

-4.86%

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

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salt Lake City, UT

$1.4K 50.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 7.2% $99

Groceries & Markets

Salt Lake City, UT

$381 14.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 6.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salt Lake City, UT

$320 11.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 12% $38

Eating Out

Salt Lake City, UT

$298 11%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 18.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Salt Lake City, UT

$152 5.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 15.8% $24

Getting Around

Salt Lake City, UT

$111 4.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 47.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Salt Lake City, UT

$65 2.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 31.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Salt Lake City, UT and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $72.0 in Salt Lake City, UT vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $405 per month, with Salt Lake City, UT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

17:36 5:36 PM

1 h ahead of Salt Lake City, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,133

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Salt Lake City, UT Austin, TX 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Salt Lake City, UT
Austin, TX

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

Salt Lake City, UT vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Salt Lake City, UT. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,668 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,701 per month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 107% less than in Salt Lake City, UT. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Salt Lake City, UT and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Salt Lake City, UT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.