Denver, CO Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Denver, CO Summary

Cost of living in Denver research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Denver is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in Colorado, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

  • The cost of living index in Denver is 134, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Denver is 1.3x higher than the national average.

  • Denver ranks as the #73 cheapest in Colorado out of 113.

  • Denver ranks as the #5,171 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Denver is $535,896.

  • The median income in Denver is $91,681.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
134
Denver's Overall Cost Of Living
1.3x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Denver, CO?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Denver has an overall cost of living index of 134, which is 1.3x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to Colorado, Denver has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Colorado's index of 111.

The standard of living in Denver ranks as #73 most affordable out of the 113 places we measured in Colorado. By definition, that implies Denver ranks as the #40 most expensive place in the Centennial State.

For more reading on life in Denver, check out:

73 out of 113
In Colorado
5,171 out of 6,489
In America

Denver Cost Of Living Vs. Colorado

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Denver. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Denver is 105.

  • The Groceries index in Denver is 106.

  • The Health index in Denver is 97.

  • The Housing index in Denver is 205.

  • The Transportation index in Denver is 104.

  • The Utilities index in Denver is 86.

Living Expense Denver Colorado National Average
Overall 134 111 100
Services 105 102 100
Groceries 106 103 100
Health 97 101 100
Housing 205 134 100
Transportation 104 107 100
Utilities 86 89 100
For more reading on cost of living around Colorado, check out:
Denver Cost of Living Vs. CO

Denver, CO Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in Colorado, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Denver is $535,896.

  • The Median Rent in Denver is $1,770.

  • The Median Income in Denver is $91,681.

  • The Home Value To Income in Denver is 5.8x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Denver is 0.23x.

Statistic Denver Colorado United States
Median Home Value $535,896 $540,183 $303,400
Median Rent $1,770 $1,693 $1,348
Median Income $91,681 $92,470 $78,538
Home Value To Income 5.8x 5.8x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.23x 0.22x 0.21x
$535,896
Median Home Value
$1,770
Median Rent
$91,681
Median Income

Denver, CO Costs By Category

Detailed Denver Services Costs Vs. Colorado

Item Denver Colorado
Shampoo $1.27 $1.28
Movie $14.7 $12.13
Bowling $21.4 $18
Haircut $26.81 $24.26
Beauty Salon $50.45 $45.56

Detailed Denver Groceries Costs Vs. Colorado

Item Denver Colorado
Ground Beef $5.23 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.4 $1.57
Milk $4.74 $4.67
Potatoes $4.3 $4.93
Pizza $12.87 $12.09
Beer $10.67 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.7 $3.7

Detailed Denver Health Costs Vs. Colorado

Item Denver Colorado
Optometrist $121.38 $125.68
Doctor $116.64 $135.78
Dentist $126.27 $113.29

Detailed Denver Transportation Costs Vs. Colorado

Item Denver Colorado
Gasoline $3.67 $3.46
Tire Balancing $60.05 $59.92

Detailed Denver Utilities Costs Vs. Colorado

Item Denver Colorado
All Electricity $145.02 $193.99
Phone $194.36 $192.25

Denver SnackAbility

8
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
8/10
Housing
9
Affordability
4
Diversity
9.5
Safety
3
Amenities
9.5
Education
8
Commute
7

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Denver

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Denver. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Aurora, CO has a cost of living index of 121, 0.9x Denver.

  • Brighton, CO has a cost of living index of 121, 0.9x Denver.

  • Englewood, CO has a cost of living index of 127, 0.9x Denver.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Denver
Aurora, CO 390,201 121 0.9x
Brighton, CO 41,196 121 0.9x
Englewood, CO 33,774 127 0.9x
Sherrelwood, CO 19,368 117 0.9x
Welby, CO 16,232 110 0.8x
Federal Heights, CO 14,160 93 0.7x
Berkley, CO 10,838 119 0.9x
Derby, CO 8,692 107 0.8x
Commerce, GA 7,684 94 0.7x
Sheridan, CO 6,031 113 0.8x

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