A friend spends 3 months of theyear inthe Salt Lake City area. He
wonders why dairy products (and expecially cheese) is so muchmore
expensive in supermarkets in Utah. There is a large dairy-producing
area nearby. Can you explain the high cost of dairy in Utah?

So much more expensive than where?  It probably has to do with the
overall cost of living.  It is also important to compare the same
item.

http://www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc.html

I hope this helps.