Salt Lake City on a Budget: Mountains, Mormons, and $40/Day
Plan your trip to Salt-Lake-City
The Salt Lake City Budget Breakdown
Salt Lake City is one of America's most affordable major cities, especially if you're here for the outdoors. The mountains are free, the public transit is functional, and the food scene punches well above its price point. The Mormon culture means alcohol is expensive and inconvenient (state-run liquor stores, limited bar licenses), but that just leaves more budget for gear, gas, and green chile.
**Daily budget (excluding accommodation)**
- Backpacker: $30–40
- Comfortable: $50–65
- "I hiked 15 miles and I'm starving": $40
The secret is that SLC's best experiences — hiking, canyon drives, temple square, people-watching — cost nothing.
Where to Sleep
Downtown hotels run $120–180/night. Avoid them unless you need the location.
- Avenues Bunkhouse — hostel-style, social, walking distance to downtown. Dorms from $30.
- Motel 6 / Super 8 along State Street — $55–75/night, functional, near TRAX.
- Airbnb in Sugar House or Liberty Wells — rooms from $50/night, local neighbourhoods, better food.
- Camping in Big Cottonwood or Little Cottonwood canyons — $15–25/night. Free dispersed camping up the canyons if you have a car and know the rules.
Avoid downtown hotels during convention season (January, various weekends) — prices triple. Check the Salt Palace schedule.
Where to Eat Cheap
Salt Lake City's food scene is diverse and affordable, thanks to immigrant communities and a young, adventurous population.
- Red Iguana (North Temple) — the best Mexican food in Utah. Mole to die for. Lunch specials $10–12.
- Pretty Bird (Downtown) — Nashville-style hot chicken, counter seating, $10–14.
- Boltcutter (Downtown) — vegan sandwiches and doughnuts that convert sceptics. $8–12.
- Curry Fried Chicken (multiple) — Nepali-owned, fried chicken + curry fusion. Unique, cheap, enormous portions.
- Lola's Street Kitchen (Downtown) — Caribbean, counter service, jerk chicken, plantains. $10.
- Lucky 13 (Cottonwood Heights) — burgers, local institution, massive portions. $12–15.
- Mazza (9th & 9th) — Lebanese, falafel, shawarma. $8–12.
Grocery: Smith's, Harmons, and Trader Joe's are everywhere. Pack lunches for hiking days — you'll save $15/day.
Getting Around
Salt Lake City's public transit is surprisingly good for a Western city.
- TRAX light rail — three lines, $2.50 single, $6.25 day pass. Free fare zone downtown.
- UTA buses — $2.50 single, extensive network.
- GREENbike — $7/day, flat downtown, good for short hops.
- Uber/Lyft — widely available, $8–15 between core areas.
The airport is 10 minutes from downtown on TRAX Green Line — $2.50.
For hiking, you need a car. Rental cars run $40–60/day. The canyons (Big Cottonwood, Little Cottonwood, Millcreek) are 20–30 minutes from downtown.
Pro tip: UTA runs ski buses to Snowbird, Alta, Brighton, and Solitude in winter. $20 round-trip including lift ticket discounts.
Free & Cheap Things to Do
The outdoors are SLC's main event, and they're mostly free.
- Temple Square — free tours, gardens, architecture. The visitor centre has excellent views.
- Utah State Capitol — free, gorgeous building, views of the valley.
- Memory Grove / City Creek Canyon — trailhead at the edge of downtown. Free hiking, 5 minutes from Temple Square.
- Ensign Peak — 20-minute hike to the summit where Brigham Young surveyed the valley. Free, stunning sunset views.
- Living Room Trail — 30-minute hike to natural stone "couches" overlooking the city. Free, popular with locals.
- Big Cottonwood Canyon — scenic drive, hiking trails, lakes. $5 day-use fee for some trailheads.
- Antelope Island State Park — bison, antelope, Great Salt Lake swimming (it's weird, do it once). $15/vehicle.
- Liberty Park — the city's central park, free concerts in summer, paddle boats.
- First Friday Gallery Stroll — downtown galleries open late, free wine, live music.
The Wasatch Mountains are visible from everywhere in the city. That view is free and never gets old.
Smart Splurges
Some things in Salt Lake City are worth the money.
- One great dinner — Red Iguana, Pretty Bird, or Pago. $20–40 with drinks.
- Hiking gear at local shops — Black Diamond, Patagonia outlet, REI. Better selection than most cities.
- A float in the Great Salt Lake — not a spa, literally floating in the lake. Weird, unforgettable. Free if you find access, $15 at Antelope Island.
- Live music at The Depot or Metro Music Hall — $15–30, excellent sound, intimate venues.
Skip: guided Mormon history tours (do Temple Square free instead), overpriced downtown gift shops, and chain restaurants you have at home.
Money-Saving Hacks
- Grocery breakfast + trail lunch + one nice dinner = $25/day for food.
- UTA day passes cover TRAX and buses. Buy at any station machine.
- Many museums have free admission days — check websites before visiting.
- The Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass exists but only pays off if you're hitting every paid attraction. Do the math.
- Split Uber rides with hostel friends or hiking partners.
- State liquor stores close early and aren't open Sundays. Plan alcohol purchases ahead.
- Free parking after 6 PM and Sundays at most downtown meters. Read the signs.
- REI garage sales (irregular) are legendary for cheap outdoor gear. Check dates.
Salt Lake City rewards self-sufficiency. Bring a water bottle, a layer, and a sense of adventure.
A Final Word
Salt Lake City confounds expectations. It's not the conservative Mormon monoculture outsiders imagine — it's a young, diverse, outdoor-obsessed city with world-class access to mountains, deserts, and canyons. The beer laws are annoying, the air quality in winter is sometimes poor, and the grid system takes getting used to.
But on a Tuesday morning, when you're hiking above the city at 7 AM with the valley spread out below and the Wasatch peaks turning gold behind you, none of that matters. Salt Lake City isn't about the city — it's about what's around it. And what's around it is some of the most spectacular landscape in America, accessible for free, 20 minutes from downtown.
That's worth a few dry Sundays.