$100K in St. George = $97,917 in Rochester

Your $100K salary in St. George (COL 96) has the same purchasing power as $97,917 in Rochester (COL 94). Rochester is cheaper โ€” your money goes 2% further there.

$100K in St. George, UT
$5,929/mo take-home
Rent: $1,300/mo (22% of take-home)
Very comfortable
$97,917/yr in Rochester, MN
$5,381/mo take-home
Rent: $1,400/mo (26% of take-home)
Comfortable

Budget breakdown โ€” $100K in both cities

What $100K actually buys you in each city after taxes and core expenses.

Expense
St. George
$100K
Rochester
$100K (same salary)
Monthly take-home$5,929$5,496
1BR rent$1,300$1,400
Groceries$372$380
Transport$40$55
Utilities$148$168
Internet$63$62
Left after essentials$4,006/month$3,431/month
To match your St. George purchasing power in Rochester, you'd need to earn $97,917/year (2% less than $100K). At that salary, you'd have $3,316/mo left after essentials โ€” vs $4,006/mo in St. George.

Frequently asked questions

What is $100K in St. George equivalent to in Rochester?

$100K in St. George (COL index 96) has the same purchasing power as $97,917 in Rochester (COL index 94). That's 2% less than your current salary.

If I move from St. George to Rochester keeping my $100K salary, will I be better off?

Yes. If you keep earning $100K after moving to Rochester, you'd have $-575 more per month after core expenses โ€” because Rochester is cheaper than St. George.

How is the salary equivalent calculated?

The equivalent salary is calculated by multiplying your current salary by the ratio of the two cities' overall cost of living indices: $100K ร— (94 รท 96) = $97,917. This adjusts for differences in housing, food, transport, and general cost of living.

Equivalency uses overall COL index ratio. Take-home uses simplified federal/state brackets. Zillow ยท BLS ยท Numbeo ยท Q1 2026 ยท For general guidance only