Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Centennial, CO and Palmdale, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Palmdale, CA: $2,725 a month against $3,186 in Centennial, CO, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Centennial, CO
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Centennial, CO Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in Palmdale, CA
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Palmdale, CA Living Index

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Centennial, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Palmdale, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Centennial, CO and in Palmdale, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Centennial, CO and in Palmdale, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,186 per month in Centennial, CO vs $2,725 in Palmdale, CA, rent included.

Centennial, CO $3,186
Palmdale, CA $2,725

A couple spends around $4,430 per month in Centennial, CO vs $4,159 in Palmdale, CA, rent included.

Centennial, CO $4,430
Palmdale, CA $4,159

A family of three spends $5,674 per month in Centennial, CO vs $5,594 in Palmdale, CA, rent included.

Centennial, CO $5,674
Palmdale, CA $5,594

Centennial, CO costs about 17% more than Palmdale, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Centennial, CO and Palmdale, CA sit above the global median – Centennial, CO by 135%, Palmdale, CA by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.85 $19.85

$25.23 $25.23

-21.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.8 $85.8

$73.7 $73.7

16.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.40 $11.40

15.70%

Cappuccino

$6.11 $6.11

$5.31 $5.31

15.07%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.74 $2.74

-0.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.66 $1.66

31.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.91 $6.91

$6.89 $6.89

0.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$7.12 $7.12

8.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.15 $1.15

-1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.76 $4.76

$4.47 $4.47

6.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$4.24 $4.24

51.89%

Eggs

$6.10 $6.10

$4.89 $4.89

24.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 $15.10

$14.15 $14.15

6.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.45 $13.45

$13.36 $13.36

0.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 $19.50

$15.37 $15.37

26.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$5.44 $5.44

3.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.55 $1.55

38.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$5.64 $5.64

-17.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.08 $4.08

31.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.44 $2.44

4.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.59 $2.59

1.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.78 $1.78

32.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.07 $2.07

-6.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.70 $10.70

$10.10 $10.10

5.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 $19.31

$12.01 $12.01

60.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.69 $1.69

63.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.53 $2.53

45.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.39 $5.39

$2.98 $2.98

80.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 $87.1

$50.6 $50.6

72.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 $3.66

$4.59 $4.59

-20.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.90 $1.90

-24.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.72 $24.72

$35.68 $35.68

-30.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.27 $1.27

-16.54%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.0K $30.0K

$27.9K $27.9K

7.35%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.2K $25.2K

3.58%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$197 $197

$192 $192

2.50%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$75.3 $75.3

$54.6 $54.6

37.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 $73.7

$75.6 $75.6

-2.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 $62.7

$32.87 $32.87

90.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 $20.21

$75.4 $75.4

-73.18%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 $14.79

$13.88 $13.88

6.56%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,497 $1,497

$407 $407

267.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K $24.9K

$7,706 $7,706

223.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 $58.3

$57.7 $57.7

1.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.23 $36.23

$41.21 $41.21

-12.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$80.9 $80.9

23.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$113 $113

15.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,832 $1,832

$1,621 $1,621

13.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,669 $1,669

$1,358 $1,358

22.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,848 $2,848

$3,004 $3,004

-5.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 $2,281

$2,504 $2,504

-8.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,183 $3,183

$3,955 $3,955

-19.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,812 $2,812

$3,409 $3,409

-17.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,362 $6,362

$3,719 $3,719

71.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.64

1.20%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Centennial, CO: October 19, 2026

Last update for Palmdale, CA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Centennial, CO

$1.7K 52.4%

Palmdale, CA

$1.4K 49.9% 18.6% $311

Groceries & Markets

Centennial, CO

$472 14.8%

Palmdale, CA

$410 15% 13.2% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Centennial, CO

$346 10.9%

Palmdale, CA

$322 11.8% 6.8% $24

Eating Out

Centennial, CO

$341 10.7%

Palmdale, CA

$366 13.4% 7.2% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Centennial, CO

$146 4.6%

Palmdale, CA

$132 4.8% 9.9% $14

Getting Around

Centennial, CO

$120 3.8%

Palmdale, CA

$77 2.8% 35.9% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Centennial, CO

$92 2.9%

Palmdale, CA

$61 2.2% 34.3% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,832 in Centennial, CO versus $1,621 in Palmdale, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 71% higher in Centennial, CO, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Centennial, CO versus $74.0 in Palmdale, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $472 vs $410 – making Palmdale, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Centennial, CO

🇺🇸 Palmdale, CA

🕒 Local time

17:46 5:46 PM

16:46 4:46 PM

1 h behind Centennial, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,741

152,750

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Centennial, CO Palmdale, CA 1,300 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Centennial, CO
Palmdale, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Centennial, CO vs Palmdale, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,186 in Centennial, CO, $2,725 in Palmdale, CA – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,779 per month in Centennial, CO and $4,087 in Palmdale, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palmdale, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Centennial, CO and $74.0 in Palmdale, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,186 in Centennial, CO and $2,725 in Palmdale, CA. That's a gap of about 17%.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,186 in Centennial, CO and $2,725 in Palmdale, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Palmdale, CA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Palmdale, CA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Centennial, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.