Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

131

Cost of Living Index in Salt Lake City, UT
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Salt Lake City, UT Living Index
239

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

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Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Salt Lake City, UT is about 45% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 $18.33

$24.65 $24.65

-25.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 $72.4

$122 $122

-40.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$13.91 $13.91

-27.61%

Cappuccino

$5.01 $5.01

$6.59 $6.59

-23.98%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$3.84 $3.84

-41.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.87 $2.87

-40.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$7.79 $7.79

-24.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 $7.90

$9.85 $9.85

-19.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.38 $1.38

-35.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 $3.79

$4.68 $4.68

-19.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$7.54 $7.54

-44.30%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$5.93 $5.93

-29.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 $11.98

$18.83 $18.83

-36.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.05 $12.05

$17.36 $17.36

-30.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 $17.00

$18.51 $18.51

-8.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$6.74 $6.74

-40.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.09 $2.09

-31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$6.07 $6.07

-38.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$6.74 $6.74

-42.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$4.05 $4.05

-45.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$4.37 $4.37

-43.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.89 $2.89

-35.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.60 $2.60

-28.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$18.72 $18.72

-46.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$20.06 $20.06

-26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.25 $3.25

-18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.73 $3.73

-12.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.06 $3.06

-16.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.5 $86.5

$140 $140

-38.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.04 $3.04

-18.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.15 $2.15

9.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.86 $24.86

$41.82 $41.82

-40.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.12 $1.12

2.68%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$35.5K $35.5K

2.62%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

-1.46%

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

$192 $192

$219 $219

-12.45%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$73.2 $73.2

-32.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.7 $78.7

$72.0 $72.0

9.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.13 $35.13

$123 $123

-71.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.90 $26.90

$67.7 $67.7

-60.25%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$22.85 $22.85

-34.27%

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

$1,282 $1,282

$3,333 $3,333

-61.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K $20.7K

$60.0K $60.0K

-65.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 $72.4

$75.2 $75.2

-3.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.19 $46.19

$52.4 $52.4

-11.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$122 $122

-9.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$133 $133

-17.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 $1,668

$4,389 $4,389

-61.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 $1,373

$3,130 $3,130

-56.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,887 $2,887

$8,918 $8,918

-67.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 $2,149

$5,354 $5,354

-59.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 $4,211

$19.4K $19.4K

-78.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,939 $2,939

$6,806 $6,806

-56.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,197 $4,197

$5,343 $5,343

-21.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.82

-5.28%

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 New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salt Lake City, UT

$1.4K 50.9%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 128% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Salt Lake City, UT

$381 14.1%

New York, NY

$545 11% 43% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salt Lake City, UT

$320 11.8%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 13.9% $44

Eating Out

Salt Lake City, UT

$298 11%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 35.3% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Salt Lake City, UT

$152 5.6%

New York, NY

$172 3.5% 13.2% $20

Getting Around

Salt Lake City, UT

$111 4.1%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 50.2% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Salt Lake City, UT

$65 2.4%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 158% $103

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $4,389 in New York, NY. 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 $72.0 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $122 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $545 – making Salt Lake City, UT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

16:43 4:43 PM

18:43 6:43 PM

2 h ahead of Salt Lake City, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,133

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Salt Lake City, UT
New York, NY

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 New York, NY: 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 $4,051 per month in Salt Lake City, UT and $7,424 in New York, NY. 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 $1,282 per month in Salt Lake City, UT and $3,333 in New York, NY. 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 $2,701 in Salt Lake City, UT and $4,950 in New York, NY. 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.