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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Utah's value. 4 out of 4 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Provo at index 84, where median rent of $1,448/month saves renters $5,364/year versus the national median. Surprising? Maybe. But the data's clear.
| Rank | City | Food & Groceries Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Provo | 95 | 84 | $1,448 | Details |
| 2 | West Valley | 97 | 91 | $1,560 | Details |
| 3 | Salt Lake | 98 | 93 | $1,592 | Details |
| 4 | West Jordan | 99 | 96 | $1,651 | Details |
#1 Ranked: Provo — cost index 84, rent $1,448/mo, income $62,800
Provo rent up 3% over the past year
4 of 4 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Dollar for dollar, few states match Utah's value. 4 out of 4 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: Provo at index 84, where median rent of $1,448/month saves renters $5,364/year versus the national median. Surprising? Maybe. But the data's clear.
The numbers for Provo are straightforward: 84 on the cost index, $1,448/month rent, $62,800 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. That's more or less in line with the region.
The food & groceries sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. And generally speaking, a score of 97 (the top-10 average here) means food & groceries costs are about 3% below the national median. Provo leads at 95, followed by West Valley (97) and Salt Lake (98). Note: a low food & groceries index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below. Surprising? Maybe. But the data's clear.
Real talk: Provo rent up 3% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked Provo has increased from $1,407 to $1,448/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. That tracks. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time. The definition of value.
In plain English: Perhaps more importantly, The 4 cities we track in Utah paint a clearly affordable picture. Average cost index: 91. Median rent: $1,563/month. Household income: $82,572. Utah is known for fastest-growing state economy with rising costs to match — and the data backs that reputation convincingly.
Bottom line: Provo leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. And more often than not, click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
113,343 residents · Utah
The numbers for Provo are straightforward: 84 on the cost index, $1,448/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — rent, $62,800 income. Not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. It lines up with what you'd expect (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
134,470 residents · Utah
Here's West Valley by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 91. Rent: $1,560/month — a detail that tends to get overlooked — . It lines up with what you'd expect. Income: $88,604/year. Home price: $466,390. Population: 134,470. The strongest category is Housing at 91; the most expensive is Healthcare at 98. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $4,020 per year vs. the national median. From a pure purchasing-power standpoint, this is elite. The math checks out.
209,593 residents · Utah
Dive into Salt Lake's numbers: cost index 93 (18 points below national average), rent $1,592/month, income $74,925, and a home price of $565,484. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 93, while Healthcare runs 99. With 209,593 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
114,908 residents · Utah
The #4 spot goes to West Jordan, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,651/month — saving renters $2,928 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 96, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 99. At a 19% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
Cities are ranked by their food & groceries cost sub-index within Utah. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Provo ranks #1 in Utah for this analysis with a cost index of 84 and median income of $62,800.
Provo, UT has the lowest food & groceries index at 95, compared to the national average of 100.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Provo (ranked #1) has a cost index of 84 and rent of $1,448/mo, while West Jordan (ranked #4) has a cost index of 96 and rent of $1,651/mo — a 12-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Provo is $1,448/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $447 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Provo is $478,858, which is 7.6× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Utah has a 4.55% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.21%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.52%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.