Cost of Living in Denver
Summary of cost of living in Denver, CO, United States:
- The estimated monthly costs for a family of four are 4,691.2$, excluding rent (using our estimator).
- The estimated monthly costs for a single person are 1,294.8$, excluding rent.
- Denver is 27.5% less expensive than New York (excluding rent, see our cost of living index).
- Rent in Denver is, on average, 48.2% lower than in New York.
Restaurants |  Edit |
Range |
|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 20.00 $ | |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 85.00 $ | |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 12.00 $ | |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 7.50 $ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.00 $ | |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.38 $ | |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.94 $ | |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.29 $ | |
Markets | Edit |
|
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 3.99 $ | |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.83 $ | |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.66 $ | |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.51 $ | |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.61 $ | |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.03 $ | |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 7.78 $ | |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.52 $ | |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.88 $ | |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.30 $ | |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.47 $ | |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.28 $ | |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.17 $ | |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 1.99 $ | |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.22 $ | |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 17.00 $ | |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 2.69 $ | |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 3.46 $ | |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 10.25 $ | |
Transportation | Edit |
|
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.90 $ | |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 88.00 $ | |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.50 $ | |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.80 $ | |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 24.00 $ | |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 3.26 $ | |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 34,514.56 $ | |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 27,540.40 $ | |
Utilities (Monthly) | Edit |
|
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 176.70 $ | |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 73.28 $ | |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 67.57 $ | |
Sports And Leisure | Edit |
|
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 62.00 $ | |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 30.00 $ | |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.00 $ | |
Childcare | Edit |
|
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1,548.49 $ | |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 16,168.00 $ | |
Clothing And Shoes | Edit |
|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 59.05 $ | |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 45.62 $ | |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 97.95 $ | |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 119.36 $ | |
Rent Per Month | Edit |
|
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,158.70 $ | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,722.73 $ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 3,552.63 $ | |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,968.65 $ | |
Buy Apartment Price | Edit |
|
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 438.65 $ | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 338.99 $ | |
Salaries And Financing | Edit |
|
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,146.11 $ | |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.37 |
Prices in Denver, Colorado
This city had 1319 entries in the past 12 months by 167 different contributors.
Last update: 10 July 2025
Last update: 10 July 2025
Sources and References
Moving to Denver, CO? Explore:
Distribution of Expenses Using Our Statistical Model:
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|
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This said, I definitely agree with the comments below about some missing info. Insurance (health, auto, life) is an important missing cost of living. Tax and tip on food can be a large impact. Not sure of this is correctly entered in "restaurants" vs "markets".
I'm curious if there is a general definition of "city centre" for cost of housing. I'm in Estonia right now and their definition of city center is different than my Denver definition. I understand that "it depends" across ~400 cities around the world. But it would be good to have a bit more definition around this highest single monthly cost for most people.
It might be useful to add household income vs individual income. Similar to the "meal for 2" or monthly costs for a "family of four" estimated at the top. I suspect this would tie back to the "local purchasing power index" shown on your index pages. https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings_current.jsp
s
$70 for a three course meal for two in a mid range restaurant? No way! A glass of wine is $7-$10, a salad or soup $6-$8, a main $12-$17, a desert $6-$10. That is $31 to $45 per person, $61 to $90 per two person, making $90 to $120 after tax and gratuity.
Bump all prices by 8-10% tax, then bump all services (restaurants, taxis, ...) by 20% gratuity. This isn’t Europe. The price on the tag isn’t what you will pay.
Also, note that the same European vs American problem is happening on houses. 10.7 square foot are not 1 square meter. The US way of measuring the size of a home includes even the exterior walls. The European way includes only net heated interior living space, so from wall surface to wall surface of rooms you live in. Not stair cases. Not porches or attics or basements. For an apartment, about 80% or external dimensions are typically the livable space. So realistically, 1 m^2 is equivalent to 13 sqft.