What does a cost-of-living index of 108 mean for Salt Lake City?

It means everyday costs in Salt Lake City run about 8% above the US national average of 100. Housing is the main driver; groceries and utilities are closer to the average, keeping the composite moderate.

How do I use the index to compare cities?

Divide one city's index by another to scale costs. To keep the same standard of living moving from SLC (108) to a city at 130, multiply your income by 130/108, about a 20% raise needed.

Why is Salt Lake City above the national average?

Housing has risen sharply in recent years as the region's population and tech sector grew, pushing the composite index above 100. Transportation and healthcare remain near average, moderating the total.

Does the index include taxes?

Standard cost-of-living indices focus on consumer prices — housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare — not income taxes. Factor Utah's flat income tax separately when comparing take-home pay.

Are these figures exact?

No. Cost-of-living indices are survey-based estimates that shift over time and vary by source and neighborhood. Use them for directional comparison; all math runs in your browser.

Salt Lake City Cost-of-Living Index

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Salt Lake City carries a composite cost-of-living index of 108, meaning typical costs run about 8% above the US average of 100. Housing is the biggest driver, while groceries, utilities, and healthcare sit closer to the national norm. This free tool benchmarks SLC against the US average and any comparison city, and converts your income into purchasing power.

How it works

The index uses the US average as a baseline of 100:

Purchasing power in average-cost dollars = income * (100 / 108). Because SLC is above average, your dollars buy slightly less than the national norm.
Equivalent income needed in a comparison city = income * (target_index / 108). This scales your SLC income to keep the same standard of living elsewhere.

A city with a higher index requires more income to match your lifestyle; a lower index requires less.

Category breakdown (SLC, US avg = 100)

Housing: 118 (above average — the main driver)
Groceries: 100 (about average)
Transportation: 102 (slightly above average)
Utilities: 96 (below average)
Healthcare: 99 (about average)

Example

Earning $70,000 in SLC, your purchasing power in average-cost dollars is 70,000 * (100/108) ≈ $64,815. To match that lifestyle in a city at index 130, you would need 70,000 * (130/108) ≈ $84,259.

Notes

Cost-of-living indices are survey estimates that shift over time and vary by source and neighborhood. They cover consumer prices, not income taxes — factor Utah’s flat income tax separately. Use these figures for directional comparison. All math runs locally in your browser.