Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salt Lake City, UT and Grand Junction, CO

For one person, living costs are similar in Salt Lake City, UT and in Grand Junction, CO: $2,701 and $2,664 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
129

Cost of Living Index in Grand Junction, CO
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Grand Junction, CO Living Index

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Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Grand Junction, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salt Lake City, UT and in Grand Junction, CO

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 Grand Junction, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,701 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $2,664 in Grand Junction, CO, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $2,701
Grand Junction, CO $2,664

A couple spends around $3,887 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $3,763 in Grand Junction, CO, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $3,887
Grand Junction, CO $3,763

A family of three spends $5,074 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $4,862 in Grand Junction, CO, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $5,074
Grand Junction, CO $4,862

Salt Lake City, UT costs about 1% more than Grand Junction, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Salt Lake City, UT and Grand Junction, CO sit above the global median – Salt Lake City, UT by 100%, Grand Junction, CO by 97%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 $18.33

$19.90 $19.90

-7.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 $72.4

$58.8 $58.8

23.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$13.73 $13.73

-26.66%

Cappuccino

$5.01 $5.01

$5.79 $5.79

-13.47%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$2.56 $2.56

-12.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.90 $1.90

-9.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$6.11 $6.11

-3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 $7.90

$6.11 $6.11

29.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.99 $0.99

-10.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.18 $3.18

19.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$6.18 $6.18

-32.04%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$4.59 $4.59

-8.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 $11.98

$21.89 $21.89

-45.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.05 $12.05

$9.46 $9.46

27.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 $17.00

$15.30 $15.30

11.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$5.34 $5.34

-24.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.49 $1.49

-4.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$6.93 $6.93

-46.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.61 $3.61

6.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.49 $2.49

-11.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.13 $2.13

15.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.12 $2.12

-11.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.25 $2.25

-17.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$10.99 $10.99

-8.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$14.93 $14.93

-1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.97 $1.97

34.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.04 $4.04

-19.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.70 $3.70

-31.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.5 $86.5

$44.32 $44.32

95.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.90 $2.90

-18.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.86 $24.86

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$0.99 $0.99

16.16%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$42.3K $42.3K

-13.92%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$37.8K $37.8K

-32.16%

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

$192 $192

$170 $170

12.67%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$79.9 $79.9

-38.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.7 $78.7

$71.4 $71.4

10.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.13 $35.13

$36.43 $36.43

-3.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.90 $26.90

$17.64 $17.64

52.49%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$15.30 $15.30

-1.83%

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

$1,282 $1,282

$1,166 $1,166

9.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K $20.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 $72.4

$49.03 $49.03

47.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.19 $46.19

$26.83 $26.83

72.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$81.8 $81.8

34.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$102 $102

7.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 $1,668

$1,623 $1,623

2.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 $1,373

$1,335 $1,335

2.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,887 $2,887

$2,281 $2,281

26.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 $2,149

$1,978 $1,978

8.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 $4,211

$3,247 $3,247

29.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,939 $2,939

$3,084 $3,084

-4.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,197 $4,197

$4,213 $4,213

-0.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.91

-6.51%

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 Grand Junction, CO: 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%

Grand Junction, CO

$1.3K 50.1% 2.8% $39

Groceries & Markets

Salt Lake City, UT

$381 14.1%

Grand Junction, CO

$420 15.8% 10.2% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salt Lake City, UT

$320 11.8%

Grand Junction, CO

$321 12.1% 0.5% $1.6

Eating Out

Salt Lake City, UT

$298 11%

Grand Junction, CO

$331 12.4% 10.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Salt Lake City, UT

$152 5.6%

Grand Junction, CO

$117 4.4% 23.2% $35

Getting Around

Salt Lake City, UT

$111 4.1%

Grand Junction, CO

$74 * 2.8% 33.6% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Salt Lake City, UT

$65 2.4%

Grand Junction, CO

$67 2.5% 2.8% $1.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,623 in Grand Junction, CO. 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 0% higher in Grand Junction, CO, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72.0 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $59.0 in Grand Junction, CO. Groceries tell a different story – $381 in Salt Lake City, UT vs $420 in Grand Junction, CO – so Salt Lake City, UT wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 Grand Junction, CO

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

Same time as Salt Lake City, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,133

65,560

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Salt Lake City, UT Grand Junction, CO 340 km

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Salt Lake City, UT
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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 Grand Junction, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Salt Lake City, UT is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,051 per month in Salt Lake City, UT and $3,996 in Grand Junction, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Grand Junction, CO, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Salt Lake City, UT – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72.0 in Salt Lake City, UT and $59.0 in Grand Junction, CO. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,701 in Salt Lake City, UT and $2,664 in Grand Junction, CO. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Grand Junction, CO – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Grand Junction, CO. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Salt Lake City, UT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.