Salt Lake City, UT vs Santa Cruz, CA Cost of Living
Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024
Salt Lake City is moderately cheaper than Santa Cruz — 8.9% lower overall cost of living.
To match an $80,000 salary in Salt Lake City, you would need $87,100 in Santa Cruz. Calculate your salary ↓
Category Breakdown
Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.
Salary Equivalency Calculator
Enter your current salary in Salt Lake City to see what you'd need to earn in Santa Cruz to maintain the same purchasing power.
Formula: salary × (109.9 ÷ 100.9) = salary × 1.0892. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.
Housing Market
Salt Lake City, UT
- Median Home Price
- $554,000
- Median Monthly Rent
- $1,575
- Housing Index
- 123.3
- Price-to-Rent Ratio
- 29.3×
Santa Cruz, CA
- Median Home Price
- $1,091,000
- Median Monthly Rent
- $3,425
- Housing Index
- 164.3
- Price-to-Rent Ratio
- 26.5×
Santa Cruz has 33.3% higher housing costs compared to Salt Lake City.
Income & Job Market
Salt Lake City, UT
- Median Household Income
- $94,400
- Per Capita Income
- $53,800
- Unemployment Rate
- 3.4%
- Population
- 200,567
Santa Cruz, CA
- Median Household Income
- $105,600
- Per Capita Income
- $60,200
- Unemployment Rate
- 5.8%
- Population
- 64,725
Affordability at a Glance
Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).
80% of income left after rent (median)
61% of income left after rent (median)
Related Comparisons
Salt Lake City vs other cities
Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.
Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.
This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.