Route comparison
Austin, TX vs Denver, CO: Cost of Living
Compare the cost of living between Austin, TX and Denver, CO. See the equivalent salary and median rent powered by BLS Regional Price Parities.
Latest official changes
Data updates affecting this route
These rows are official-source planning signals with data period and last-checked dates. They do not automatically update the current RPP/FMR values on this page until the source dataset is flipped.
Austin, TX
TX
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 98.8
- Housing RPP
- 126.4
- Goods RPP
- 93.6
- 2-BR median rent
- $1,924/mo
Texas has no state income tax. Property taxes ~2% effective rate.
Denver, CO
CO
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 107.4
- Housing RPP
- 145.8
- Goods RPP
- 105.5
- 2-BR median rent
- $2,201/mo
Colorado flat income tax 4.4%. Denver city tax 2.25% on wages.
Equivalent salary
Denver, CO is more expensive than Austin, TX by about 8.7% (RPP 98.8 to 107.4).
$60,000 in Austin, TX
-> $65,223
in Denver, CO
$100,000 in Austin, TX
-> $108,704
in Denver, CO
$150,000 in Austin, TX
-> $163,057
in Denver, CO
This tool provides estimates only. Equivalent-salary figures are derived from BLS Regional Price Parities (RPP) and HUD Fair Market Rents — they are averages, not guarantees. Actual cost of living varies by neighborhood, lifestyle, and individual circumstances. Not financial advice.
Migration signal: Austin, TX vs Denver, CO
IRS tax-return migration · 2021-2022Austin, TX
- Net people
- +18,016
- Net rank
- #9 of 65
- Top origin share
- 4%
- Top destination share
- 3%
Largest source: Harris County, TX. Largest destination: Bexar County, TX.
Denver, CO
- Net people
- −9,607
- Net rank
- #49 of 65
- Top origin share
- 3%
- Top destination share
- 3%
Largest source: Boulder County, CO. Largest destination: Weld County, CO.
Rent delta: Denver, CO is $277/mo higher for HUD FY2024 2-BR FMR than Austin, TX. Housing RPP moves from 126.4 to 145.8.
Migration figures are derived from IRS SOI county-to-county migration data for 2021-2022, mapped to metros via Census CBSA delineation. Small county-to-county flows are IRS-suppressed, so per-metro totals are lower bounds. Source: IRS SOI migration data.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Denver, CO cheaper or more expensive than Austin, TX?
- Denver, CO (RPP 107.4) is more expensive than Austin, TX (RPP 98.8) by about 8.7%.
- What salary do I need in Denver, CO if I earn $100,000 in Austin, TX?
- You would need approximately $108,704 in Denver, CO to maintain the same purchasing power as $100,000 in Austin, TX. Formula: $100,000 x (107.4 / 98.8).
- Which metro had stronger net migration, Austin, TX or Denver, CO?
- For 2021-2022, Austin, TX had a net gain of 18,016 people, while Denver, CO had a net loss of 9,607 people. IRS small-flow suppression means these are lower-bound research signals, not complete population-change totals.