Cost of Living in Denver, CO (2026)

Denver's cost of living is 6% above the US average. $100,000 here is worth about $94,534 nationally. Rent, homes and monthly costs.

Denver has a cost-of-living index of 106 against a US average of 100 — about 6% above average. $100,000 of income here is worth roughly $94,534 at the national average.

What it costs to live in Denver

MeasureDenverUS average
Cost-of-living index106100
Median rent$1,770/mo-
Median home value$586,700-
Median household income$91,681-
Population713,734-

Monthly cost breakdown in Denver

Estimates use BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares scaled by the local cost-of-living index. Housing uses the city’s median rent; the owning column uses a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down on the median home.

CategoryRentingOwning
Housing$1,770$3,407
Transport$1,325$1,325
Food$1,043$1,043
Healthcare$655$655
Other$2,328$2,328
Total$7,120$8,757

Affordability in Denver

Median rent takes about 23.2% of the median household income in Denver — comfortably inside the 30% rule of thumb.

The median home costs 6.4x the median household income. Three times income is the traditional comfort line; five times is where affordability usually breaks down.

Highest-paying roles in Denver

RoleTypical salaryWorth nationally
Marketing Manager$170,110$160,812
Software Developer$134,990$127,612
Data Scientist$111,750$105,642
Mechanical Engineer$104,390$98,684
Police Officer$100,790$95,281
Physical Therapist$99,290$93,863
Project Manager$99,250$93,825
Financial Analyst$99,060$93,645

“Worth nationally” adjusts each salary for Denver’s cost of living, so you can compare offers between cities on equal terms.

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Frequently asked questions

Denver has a cost-of-living index of 106 against a US average of 100, so it is about 6% above the national average. In practical terms, $100,000 of income in Denver has roughly the purchasing power of $94,534 at the national average.

A common benchmark is keeping rent at or under 30% of gross income. At Denver's median rent of $1,770/month that implies about $70,800 a year before tax. The median household in Denver earns $91,681.

Renting, a single household spends roughly $7,120 a month in Denver across housing, transport, food, healthcare and everything else. Buying at the median home price, the estimate is about $8,757 a month including a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down.

The median home in Denver costs $586,700, which is 6.4x the median household income of $91,681. Lenders traditionally treat 3x as comfortable and about 5x as stretched, so Denver is expensive relative to local incomes.