Austin vs Salt Lake City
Austin, TX · Salt Lake City, UT
Salt Lake City is 8% cheaper than Austin overall.
Home Price
Austin: $500,000
Salt: $485,000
Monthly Rent
Austin: $1,300/mo
Salt: $1,149/mo
COL Index
Austin: 121
Salt: 111
Median Income
Austin: $83,800
Salt: $77,200
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Austin has the same purchasing power as $91,736 in Salt Lake City — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Salt Lake City cost 3% more (-$15,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in Salt Lake City saves you $151/month — $1,812 per year. Median rent: $1,300/mo in Austin vs $1,149/mo in Salt Lake City.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Austin owners pay roughly $9,000/year in property taxes vs $2,571/year in Salt Lake City. That's a $6,430 annual difference.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $83,800 in Austin and $77,200 in Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City residents earn 8% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 27 minutes in Austin vs 23 minutes in Salt Lake City. Commute times are nearly identical.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Austin to Salt Lake City, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Austin | Equivalent in Salt Lake City | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $45,868 | -$4,132 |
| $75,000 | $68,802 | -$6,198 |
| $100,000 | $91,736 | -$8,264 |
| $150,000 | $137,603 | -$12,397 |
| $200,000 | $183,471 | -$16,529 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
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Cost of Living
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Austin vs Salt Lake City: Common Questions
Is Austin or Salt Lake City cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Salt Lake City is cheaper overall. Austin has a COL index of 121 while Salt Lake City scores 111 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Austin and Salt Lake City?
The median home price in Austin is $500,000 vs $485,000 in Salt Lake City — a difference of $15,000 (3%).
What salary do I need in Salt Lake City to match my Austin income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Austin is equivalent to $91,736 in Salt Lake City in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Salt Lake City has a lower property tax rate (0.53% vs 1.8%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $2,571/year vs $9,000/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.