Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salt Lake City, UT and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Salt Lake City, UT: $2,701 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

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

Salt Lake City, UT Living Index
185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salt Lake City, UT and in Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,701 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $2,701
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $3,887 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $3,887
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $5,074 per month in Salt Lake City, UT vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Salt Lake City, UT $5,074
Seattle, WA $7,603

Salt Lake City, UT is about 29% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Salt Lake City, UT and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Salt Lake City, UT by 100%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 $18.33

$25.32 $25.32

-27.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 $72.4

$101 $101

-28.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$14.85 $14.85

-32.19%

Cappuccino

$5.01 $5.01

$6.59 $6.59

-23.98%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$3.22 $3.22

-30.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$3.14 $3.14

-45.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$8.18 $8.18

-27.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 $7.90

$8.03 $8.03

-1.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.21 $1.21

-26.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 $3.79

$5.12 $5.12

-25.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$6.30 $6.30

-33.33%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$4.90 $4.90

-14.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 $11.98

$19.10 $19.10

-37.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.05 $12.05

$18.50 $18.50

-34.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 $17.00

$23.03 $23.03

-26.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$5.81 $5.81

-30.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.95 $1.95

-26.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.29 $5.29

-29.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$6.48 $6.48

-40.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.57 $3.57

-38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.15 $3.15

-21.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.85 $2.85

-34.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.42 $2.42

-23.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$12.75 $12.75

-21.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$14.99 $14.99

-1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$4.17 $4.17

-36.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$5.99 $5.99

-45.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.04 $3.04

-16.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.5 $86.5

$110 $110

-21.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.55 $2.55

-2.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.64 $1.64

43.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.86 $24.86

$29.58 $29.58

-15.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.42 $1.42

-19.01%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$35.7K $35.7K

1.76%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.6K $25.6K

0.38%

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

$192 $192

$299 $299

-35.87%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$70.8 $70.8

-30.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.7 $78.7

$88.3 $88.3

-10.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.13 $35.13

$79.5 $79.5

-55.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.90 $26.90

$35.37 $35.37

-23.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$17.12 $17.12

-12.27%

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

$1,282 $1,282

$3,013 $3,013

-57.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K $20.7K

$31.6K $31.6K

-34.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 $72.4

$77.2 $77.2

-6.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.19 $46.19

$55.1 $55.1

-16.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$126 $126

-12.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$163 $163

-32.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 $1,668

$2,464 $2,464

-32.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 $1,373

$1,956 $1,956

-29.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,887 $2,887

$4,711 $4,711

-38.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 $2,149

$3,550 $3,550

-39.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 $4,211

$7,346 $7,346

-42.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,939 $2,939

$5,048 $5,048

-41.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,197 $4,197

$6,286 $6,286

-33.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.85

-5.69%

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 Seattle, WA: 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%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 42.4% $583

Groceries & Markets

Salt Lake City, UT

$381 14.1%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 42.1% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salt Lake City, UT

$320 11.8%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 43.3% $138

Eating Out

Salt Lake City, UT

$298 11%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 37% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Salt Lake City, UT

$152 5.6%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 24.6% $37

Getting Around

Salt Lake City, UT

$111 4.1%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 19.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Salt Lake City, UT

$65 2.4%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 74.5% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. 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 50% higher in Seattle, WA, 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 $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $542 – making Salt Lake City, UT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

16:03 4:03 PM

1 h behind Salt Lake City, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,133

737,015

💱 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 Seattle, WA 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Salt Lake City, UT
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 41%, 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 $5,701 in Seattle, WA. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72.0 in Salt Lake City, UT and $101 in Seattle, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,701 in Salt Lake City, UT and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 41%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,701 in Salt Lake City, UT and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Salt Lake City, UT – 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 Salt Lake City, UT. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.