Wedding season is just around the corner. How much is a wedding going to cost the happy couple? A lot. Though in Utah the cost is comparably small. Utahns have the second lowest wedding costs in the nation after Idahoans ($16,816 and $16,159 respectively), both of which are just over half of the average national expense ($29,858). And none of these total costs include honeymoons. (As a side note, Utah has the second highest honeymoon rate, with 88% of couples taking honeymoons.)
Wedding costs vary greatly depending on personal preference. For example, a wedding cake may be a piece of art, or simply crafted from 75 cent grocery store cupcakes, with the average cost coming in at $546. Overall cost of living comparisons between one area and the next ignore personal preferences but are affected by basic economic principles such as supply and demand.
The Council for Community and Economic Research compiles cost of living data for cities across the United States. Utahns fare well, seeing an overall cost of living that is less than the national average. Grocery items, housing, cost of utilities, and health care in Utah are well below the national average. However, many Utahns can expect to pay more for transportation and for miscellaneous goods and services. Cedar City and St. George have the lowest cost of living in the state, and the Provo-Orem area has the highest.
When comparing the cost of living in Salt Lake City with neighboring western cities, Utah’s capitol city is in the middle of the pack. It costs a bit more to live in Salt Lake than in Phoenix and Boise, but is far less expensive than Sacramento and Portland.
To come up with the composite cost of living index, the Council for Community and Economic Research looks at 55 items in six different categories. Beauty salon services are 40% more expensive in Salt Lake City than the national average, while dry cleaning is 20% higher and bowling is 16% higher. On the other hand, potatoes are 34% less expensive, boy’s jeans are 26% cheaper and a man’s dress shirt is 21% cheaper. Salt Lake City wins out on the biggest ticket items of apartment rent and home prices.
Some of the most expensive places to live are on the East Coast, in California, and in Alaska. Oh, and Hawaii, which is also one of the most popular honeymoon destinations in the U.S. Though you might not want to move to Honolulu unless you get a pay raise…
[Wedding cake photo credit: Muriel Silva Photography]
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