Route comparison
Los Angeles, CA vs Denver, CO: Cost of Living
Compare the cost of living between Los Angeles, CA 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.
Los Angeles, CA
CA
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 113.1
- Housing RPP
- 177
- Goods RPP
- 106.3
- 2-BR median rent
- $2,544/mo
California income tax 1%-13.3%. No city income tax.
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 cheaper than Los Angeles, CA by about 5.0% (RPP 113.1 to 107.4).
$60,000 in Los Angeles, CA
-> $56,976
in Denver, CO
$100,000 in Los Angeles, CA
-> $94,960
in Denver, CO
$150,000 in Los Angeles, CA
-> $142,440
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: Los Angeles, CA vs Denver, CO
IRS tax-return migration · 2021-2022Los Angeles, CA
- Net people
- −147,289
- Net rank
- #64 of 65
- Top origin share
- 9%
- Top destination share
- 11%
Largest source: San Bernardino County, CA. Largest destination: San Bernardino County, CA.
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 $343/mo lower for HUD FY2024 2-BR FMR than Los Angeles, CA. Housing RPP moves from 177 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 Los Angeles, CA?
- Denver, CO (RPP 107.4) is cheaper than Los Angeles, CA (RPP 113.1) by about 5.0%.
- What salary do I need in Denver, CO if I earn $100,000 in Los Angeles, CA?
- You would need approximately $94,960 in Denver, CO to maintain the same purchasing power as $100,000 in Los Angeles, CA. Formula: $100,000 x (107.4 / 113.1).
- Which metro had stronger net migration, Los Angeles, CA or Denver, CO?
- For 2021-2022, Los Angeles, CA had a net loss of 147,289 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.