Question 1

Is Salt Lake City or Seattle cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Salt Lake City, UT is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $1,043/month less than in Seattle, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,747/mo in Salt Lake City versus $2,501/mo in Seattle.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Salt Lake City vs Seattle?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $68,000/year before tax in Salt Lake City, UT and $85,000/year in Seattle, WA — a difference of about $17,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Salt Lake City or Seattle cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Salt Lake City, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $7,025/month in Salt Lake City and $8,905/month in Seattle, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to Salt Lake City or Seattle?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Salt Lake City costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	Salt Lake City58	Seattle60
Est. monthly cost (single)	$3,700	$4,743
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$7,025	$8,905
Salary for comfort	$68,000/yr	$85,000/yr
Typical rent	$1,747	$2,501
Median home value	$495,700	$912,100
Median household income	$74,925	$121,984
Unemployment	3.4%	4.5%
Housing score	30	35
Jobs score	72	36
Safety score	10	40
Climate score	90	92
Amenities score	50	90
Population	203.9K	741.4K
Summer high / winter low	90° / 27°	76° / 37°

Salt Lake City, UT vs Seattle, WA