City profile
Denver, CO cost of living
CO · BEA RPP 105.782
Latest official changes
Updates affecting Denver, CO
City metrics retain the historical BEA 2024 and HUD FY2027 benchmarks. Change-log entries are dated source notices and do not automatically update those values.
2024 overall RPP
105.782
US = 100
2024 housing-rent RPP
146.919
Housing component
2024 goods RPP
100.957
Goods component
2-BR FMR (HUD)
$2,169/mo
FY2027 FMR
Where Denver, CO sits in the verified metro set
RPP rank
#14 of 67
+5.8 vs U.S. average
Vs median metro
+6.3
median RPP 99.5
2-BR rent rank
#13 of 67
+480/mo vs median verified metro
RPP ranks use only verified ReloMath metro records. Sources: BEA MARPP 2024 (all items, housing, goods, other services); HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent; reviewed 2026-10-04. These are historical area benchmarks, not current neighborhood prices. HUD FMR is a 40th-percentile gross-rent benchmark, not median rent. BEA metro and HUD rent-area boundaries can differ. BEA: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO (Metropolitan Statistical Area) (code 19740). HUD: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA (code METRO19740M19740); counties or county equivalents: Adams County, Arapahoe County, Broomfield County, Clear Creek County, Denver County, Douglas County, Elbert County, Gilpin County, Jefferson County, Park County. The official files were retrieved 2026-10-04.
Who’s moving in and out of Denver, CO
IRS tax-return migration · 2022-2023Cost of living is only half the relocation question. The other half is which way people are actually voting with their feet, straight from IRS tax-return migration for the Denver, CO metro.
Moved in
76,550
people · 54,605 households
Moved out
71,819
people · 47,339 households
Net
+4,731
net gain of residents
Net migration rank
#16 of 65
among IRS-covered ReloMath metros
Vs median net flow
+4,360
median +371 people
Largest flow share
8% in / 10% out
top named county shares
Where new residents came from
- Boulder County, CO 6,140
- El Paso County, CO 4,899
- Weld County, CO 4,088
- Larimer County, CO 2,989
- Maricopa County, AZ 2,620
Where residents moved to
- Weld County, CO 7,515
- Boulder County, CO 5,374
- El Paso County, CO 5,261
- Larimer County, CO 3,446
- Maricopa County, AZ 2,879
Counts are IRS tax filers (returns ≈ households, individuals ≈ exemptions) who changed address between 2022-2023. Flows too small for IRS to disclose are grouped and excluded from the named lists. Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration data ↗, mapped to metros via the U.S. Census CBSA delineation.
What salary do you need in Denver, CO?
Historical BEA 2024 salary illustration relative to the U.S. average (RPP 100), before tax and household adjustments. Housing is already included in overall RPP.
| In US-average city | You need in Denver, CO | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $52,891 | $50,000 x (105.782/100) |
| $75,000 | $79,337 | $75,000 x (105.782/100) |
| $100,000 | $105,782 | $100,000 x (105.782/100) |
| $125,000 | $132,228 | $125,000 x (105.782/100) |
| $150,000 | $158,673 | $150,000 x (105.782/100) |
| $200,000 | $211,564 | $200,000 x (105.782/100) |
Salary illustrations use BEA 2024 overall Regional Price Parities (RPP) only, before tax and household-specific adjustments. Overall RPP already includes housing. HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent is a separate historical gross-rent benchmark, not a current lease or median rent. Do not add rent to the RPP salary figure. Your lease and moving quote belong in a separate budget. Not financial advice.
Step 2: what will the move itself cost?
The historical salary illustration is separate from moving payments. Use an actual mover quote and lease terms in your budget summary.
State income tax note
Income tax and payroll deductions are not calculated. Obtain take-home estimates for your actual work and home addresses.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Denver, CO?
- In the historical BEA 2024 benchmark, Denver, CO has an overall Regional Price Parity of 105.782 (US average = 100). Its overall price level is 5.8% higher than the national average for that year.
- What salary do I need to live in Denver, CO?
- If you earn $100,000 in a US-average city (RPP 100), the BEA 2024 RPP illustration is approximately $105,782 in Denver, CO, before tax and household adjustments.
- What historical rent benchmark is shown for Denver, CO?
- The historical HUD Fair Market Rent benchmark for a 2-bedroom associated with Denver, CO is $2,169 per month as of FY2027.
- Are people moving to or away from Denver, CO?
- Based on IRS tax-return migration data for 2022-2023, about 76,550 people moved into the Denver, CO metro and 71,819 moved out — a net gain of roughly 4,731 residents. The largest single source of new residents was Boulder County, CO.
Curated nearby & similar cities
Similar verified metros by RPP
These links are chosen by data proximity: closest overall RPP to Denver, CO, with HUD 2-BR rent as a tie-breaker.
Curated cost-of-living comparisons for Denver, CO
Side-by-side cost of living and the equivalent salary you'd need — pick a destination.
Check published data changes
Review dated source notices for tracked metros alongside Denver, CO's historical benchmarks. Change-log entries do not automatically refresh the BEA 2024 or HUD FY2027 values shown here.
View cost-of-living change log