Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City on a budget: cheap food, stays and free sights
Plan on US$100–195 a day as a backpacker and US$250–460 mid-range, per person, sharing a room. Salt Lake City is cheaper than the big US coasts, and free mountain trails, temple-square walking and supermarket food keep a day near the bottom of that band. Costs rise in ski season and during conference weeks.
- Source checked
- A source and a date are on record: we read it from an official or published page. Not yet confirmed on the ground.
- Field checked
- Someone checked it on the ground, with the date shown.
- Plan calculated
- Worked out by Voykit from its own data (times, distances, budgets). A calculation, not a measurement.
Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify
GuideSalt Lake City
Key facts
- Backpacker day
- US$100–195: hostel dorm or campground, supermarket and fast food, transit
- Mid-range day
- US$250–460: mid-range hotel, casual restaurants with tip, some ride-hailing
- Cheapest monthscheck
- Late spring and autumn; ski season (December–March) and big conference weeks push beds up
- Free sightscheck
- Temple Square grounds, the State Capitol, Memory Grove and City Creek Canyon trails
- Cheap eats
- Supermarket delis, taco and burrito counters, food halls and diners; dinner with tax and tip US$35–60 elsewhere
- Transit
- UTA buses and TRAX light rail; a day pass is the cheapest way to move without a car
- Tax and tip
- Shelf prices exclude sales tax; restaurants add 18–22% tip on top
Top picks
Salt Lake City rewards travellers who treat the mountains as the attraction and the city as the base. Almost everything worth doing in a budget day is free: walking the Temple Square grounds, climbing the steps of the State Capitol for the valley view, and following City Creek Canyon or Memory Grove on foot from downtown. Add a supermarket picnic and you have a full day under US$40.
For beds, the cheapest reliable pattern is a hostel dorm or a campsite in the canyons in summer, then a suburban motel near a TRAX line in winter. Staying outside downtown and riding the light rail in usually beats paying downtown parking, which is charged separately from the room rate.
Food is where the budget is won or lost. Lunch at a taco counter, a food hall stall or a supermarket deli keeps the day cheap; a sit-down dinner with tax and tip runs US$35–60 per person, which is the single biggest swing in a day's spend.
- Free: Temple Square grounds, State Capitol, Memory Grove, City Creek Canyon trail
- Cheap bed: hostel dorm or summer canyon campground; suburban motel on a TRAX line
- Cheap food: supermarket deli, taco counter, food hall lunch
- Cheap transport: UTA day pass on bus and TRAX instead of parking downtown
| Pick | Typical cost | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm | US$40–80 a night | Cheapest bed downtown; book early in ski season |
| Campsite in the canyons | US$20–40 a night | Summer only; needs a car or a long ride |
| Suburban motel on a TRAX line | US$70–130 a night | Cheaper than downtown, transit into the centre |
| Supermarket or deli lunch | US$8–15 | Keeps the food line of the budget low |
| Taco or burrito counter | US$10–18 | Fast, filling, no tip pressure beyond a jar |
| Food hall stall | US$12–20 | Variety for groups; watch the add-ons |
| Diner breakfast with tip | US$18–30 | Country-wide benchmark; often enough for two meals |
| UTA day pass | US$5–10 | Bus and TRAX; beats downtown parking fees |
2026 estimate, per person. Sales tax is added at the till and restaurant tips are 18–22% on top.
Prices and hours
Use the country benchmarks as your anchor and adjust down: Salt Lake City sits below New York, San Francisco or Boston on beds and food. Coffee is US$3–6, a diner breakfast with tip US$18–30, a casual dinner with tax and tip US$35–60 per person, and a beer in a bar US$7–12. Utah's alcohol rules are stricter than most US states, so check what a bar can serve and when before you plan an evening around it.
Two costs catch people out. First, hotels add parking and sometimes a destination fee on top of the room rate, so read the total before booking. Second, a rental car looks cheap until insurance and fuel are added: budget US$60–150 a day all in, and remember a car is only worth it if you are heading to the canyons or the ski resorts.
Opening hours for museums, pools and visitor centres change with the season; check the operator's own page the week you travel rather than trusting a listing.
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee | US$3–6 | Country benchmark |
| Diner breakfast with tip | US$18–30 | Often enough for two meals |
| Casual dinner with tax and tip | US$35–60 per person | The biggest daily swing |
| Beer in a bar | US$7–12 | Utah alcohol rules are stricter; check |
| Hostel dorm | US$40–80 | Book early in ski season |
| Mid-range hotel room | US$100–200 | Plus tax, parking and possible fees |
| Rental car all in | US$60–150 a day | Insurance and fuel included |
| UTA day pass | US$5–10 | Bus and TRAX |
2026 estimate. Shelf prices exclude sales tax; restaurants add 18–22% tip.
Getting there
Salt Lake City International Airport sits close to downtown, which keeps arrival costs low compared with most US cities: a taxi or ride-hailing trip into the centre is short, and buses serve the airport too. Check current fares and the last departure time before you land, because late arrivals narrow your options.
If you are flying in from abroad, the flight is the largest single line in the whole trip and the one worth timing. Fares into Salt Lake City swing with ski season and with conference weeks; travelling in late spring or autumn usually lands the cheapest seats and the cheapest beds at the same time. Compare a connection through a larger US hub against a direct route before booking.
Once in the city, UTA buses and the TRAX light rail cover downtown and the airport corridor. A day pass is usually the cheapest way to move, and it removes the parking problem entirely. A car only pays off for canyon and ski days.
- Airport to downtown: short taxi or ride-hailing trip; buses also serve the terminal (check fares)
- From abroad: time the flight against ski season and conference weeks
- In town: UTA bus and TRAX day pass instead of a rental car
- Rental car: only for canyon, ski or national-park days
FAQ
Questions people ask
How much do I need per day in Salt Lake City?
Budget US$100–195 a day as a backpacker (hostel or campground, supermarket and fast food, transit) and US$250–460 mid-range (hotel, casual restaurants with tip, some ride-hailing). Per person, sharing a room, 2026 estimate. Flights and car hire are extra.
Where can I eat cheaply in Salt Lake City?
Supermarket delis, taco and burrito counters, food hall stalls and diners. Lunch at US$8–20 keeps the day cheap; a sit-down dinner with tax and tip runs US$35–60 per person, so pick one big meal a day rather than two.
What are the cheapest months for Salt Lake City?
Late spring and autumn, outside ski season and the big conference weeks, when beds and flights both drop. Winter is expensive because of the resorts; midsummer campsites are cheap but hotels are not. Check dates before booking.
Do I need a car in Salt Lake City on a budget?
No, if you stay near a TRAX line and keep to the city. A rental car costs US$60–150 a day with insurance and fuel, so hire one only for canyon, ski or national-park days and use transit the rest of the time.
What free things can I do in Salt Lake City?
Walk the Temple Square grounds, climb to the State Capitol for the valley view, and follow City Creek Canyon or Memory Grove on foot from downtown. Add a supermarket picnic and the day costs almost nothing.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialVisit Salt Lake
- officialUtah Transit Authority (UTA)
- officialSalt Lake City International Airport
- secondaryWikivoyage – Salt Lake City