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 $693/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 $76,500/year before tax in Salt Lake City, UT and $86,000/year in Seattle, WA — a difference of about $9,500. 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. Two adults with a pre-schooler and a school-age child run about $9,707/month in Salt Lake City and $12,749/month in Seattle, including county-median childcare.

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 City56	Seattle59
Est. monthly cost (single)	$4,098	$4,791
Est. monthly cost (family of 4, incl. childcare)	$9,707	$12,749
Salary for comfort	$76,500/yr	$86,000/yr
Typical rent	$1,747	$2,501
Median home value	$495,700	$912,100
Median household income	$74,925	$121,984
Unemployment	3.5%	4.7%
Housing score	27	34
Jobs score	82	35
Safety score	10	40
Climate score	78	92
Amenities score	50	90
Population	203.9K	741.4K
Summer high / winter low	93° / 22°	76° / 37°

Salt Lake City, UT vs Seattle, WA