Salaries are lower, but is the cost of living??? (Salt Lake City: apartments, renter)

[Moon Waffle]

I'm learning the more and more I look at opportunities in Salt Lake City that the salaries there are (for whatever reason) generally lower than in many other places in the Western US. I don't really care why, it just seems that, generally speaking, this is the case.

My question is: does the cost of living match? If salaries are lower one would expect cost of living to be lower. Do you find this to be the case today in Salt Lake City? Does the current cost of living "agree" with current salaries?

[Tim Tim Tim]

I dont know about comapring to other western states but it was a lot cheaper than florida! housing isnt cheaper but utilities and insurance sure are!

[Ellen Pitts]

You can find cost of living comparison calculators on google. Idk about SLC but generally speaking lower salaries does not correspond with lower cost of living.

[skibarbie]

Just my opinion,,, I think the cost of living outpaces the low wages by a long shot. Housing is coming down a bit but food, fuel property tax etc are going up.

[dcisive]

I can't speak anymore about renters as when I was it seems the utility bills were nothing at all. Now they are sky high in a home of our own, and it's just the 2 of us. So indeed utilities have risen considerably over the last 10 years. As a renter I paid $800 a month for a nice 2 bedroom 2 bath town home in E. Millcreek in a great neighborhood (20th East) and utilities could be all but ignored. Our mortgage payment is about 70% higher than that with taxes included, then there is the utilities that average an additional $170 a month on top of that, so home ownership ain't the bargain it was made out to be in my earlier days. Even Suzie Ormond said these days it's good to be a renter. I used to save all kinds of money when I rented. Now it all goes to just staying in the house. Glad our governor found the money to throw at the schools this time around without raising the taxes yet AGAIN. At the rate things were going I would end up in an assisted living home

[illusion887]

Rent is a lot cheaper in SLC than many areas. $500 a month will get you a nice place.

[Tim Tim Tim]

Originally Posted by dcisive

I can't speak anymore about renters as when I was it seems the utility bills were nothing at all. Now they are sky high in a home of our own, and it's just the 2 of us. So indeed utilities have risen considerably over the last 10 years. As a renter I paid $800 a month for a nice 2 bedroom 2 bath town home in E. Millcreek in a great neighborhood (20th East) and utilities could be all but ignored. Our mortgage payment is about 70% higher than that with taxes included, then there is the utilities that average an additional $170 a month on top of that, so home ownership ain't the bargain it was made out to be in my earlier days. Even Suzie Ormond said these days it's good to be a renter. I used to save all kinds of money when I rented. Now it all goes to just staying in the house. Glad our governor found the money to throw at the schools this time around without raising the taxes yet AGAIN. At the rate things were going I would end up in an assisted living home

Im willing to bet your house is a bit larger than your apartment was if the mtg is 70% higher than your rent???

I wish our utilities were that much here, Im the summer we pay more than that just to a/c a 1400sqft single story house to 75, we had bills over 200 and thats low. My parents house the same size is usually pushing 300. Not including water and everything else!!

[dcisive]

Sure, Tim it's larger, but frankly I'd rather have the lowered payment Oh well you can't have it all. I'd also like to NOT be paying the taxes,,,especially when they keep raising the school taxes. There, I got my usual dig in couldn't resist

[Tim Tim Tim]

Originally Posted by dcisive

Sure, Tim it's larger, but frankly I'd rather have the lowered payment Oh well you can't have it all. I'd also like to NOT be paying the taxes,,,especially when they keep raising the school taxes. There, I got my usual dig in couldn't resist

I dont blame you! the schools there where much nicer than here, i can only imagine how much your paying for that!! when I lived there we were renters the whole time. While it has its up sides, long term you get no pay off.

[operaphantom2003]

Wages are low and rents are going up. The new apartments downtown are going for $900-1000 for a studio apt. I am paying $875 for a westside downtown 1 bedroom apartment (500 sq ft) and then $90 for utilities in the winter.