Answer:
Probably not. Religious life can refer to different things. It mostly is an act, being devout abt something and engaging in the respective traditions and behaviors of a belief system. Usually, it refers to spirituality, but not exclusively, as Atheism is a religion but has no easily definable rituals and Atheists believe in an absence of a spiritual world. And on the other hand, u can be religious abt worldly belief or behaviors, like the gameday rituals for football, or the preference of MacIntosh over other technology products.
Priests r ordained by God/s or usually believed to be able to act as a living link from reality to their spirit worlds and also historically live specific lifestyles, different from the general populations, or believers. Catholic priests may not marry, they dedicate their lives to the service of God, and "marry" the church. They live as the church orders, in a community of commoners, or in a convent, charity, school or otherwise. Priests r called "shamen" "medicine men" "witch doctors" etc, depending on their culture.
They r almost always considered different and lead more isolated lives, so that's probably what is meant by "priestly life", whereas anyone can be religious in their lives or actions, which may/may not involve spirituality. And one can be devoutly pious and religious, but that doesn't make them priests.
Answer
It is all according how one interprets the question. If you are only talking about a priest, then probably no. One is how the priest is spiritually while the other is in regards to his piritual responsibilites.
As to the lay person both should be on the same spiritual level. For the one is the teacher of the other. As both have access to the Holy Spirit then both recieve the same truth, and are enclined to be on the same rung of the spiritual ladder.