Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver, CO and Herndon, VA

For one person, living costs are similar in Denver, CO and in Herndon, VA: $3,151 and $3,296 a month, rent and utilities included.

151

Cost of Living Index in Denver, CO
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Denver, CO Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Herndon, VA
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Herndon, VA Living Index

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Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,151

/mo nomad

Herndon, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,296

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Denver, CO and in Herndon, VA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,151 in Denver, CO versus $3,296 in Herndon, VA.

Denver, CO $3,151
Herndon, VA $3,296

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,582 in Denver, CO versus $4,928 in Herndon, VA.

Denver, CO $4,582
Herndon, VA $4,928

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,013 in Denver, CO versus $6,559 in Herndon, VA.

Denver, CO $6,013
Herndon, VA $6,559

Living in Denver, CO costs roughly 4% less than in Herndon, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Denver, CO 132% above, Herndon, VA 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.86 $19.86

$24.06 $24.06

-17.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$98.7 $98.7

-14.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$11.06 $11.06

8.05%

Cappuccino

$6.13 $6.13

$5.78 $5.78

6.06%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$3.01 $3.01

-2.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.51 $2.51

-8.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 $7.10

$7.85 $7.85

-9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$8.92 $8.92

-12.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.21 $1.21

-7.44%

White Bread (500g)

$5.58 $5.58

$4.18 $4.18

33.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.33 $7.33

$5.30 $5.30

38.30%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$5.17 $5.17

-1.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.37 $16.37

$16.93 $16.93

-3.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$15.90 $15.90

8.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.55 $18.55

$18.78 $18.78

-1.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$5.65 $5.65

-7.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.89 $1.89

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.74 $4.74

3.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.65 $5.65

-6.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.79 $2.79

-4.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.84 $3.84

-26.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.58 $2.58

-5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.76 $10.76

$9.62 $9.62

11.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 $18.72

$16.30 $16.30

14.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.74 $2.74

-1.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.79 $2.79

28.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.46 $2.46

13.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 $88.3

$30.55 $30.55

189.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.02 $4.02

-11.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.26 $1.26

42.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.56 $29.56

$25.39 $25.39

16.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$32.5K $32.5K

-7.52%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.89%

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

$166 $166

$164 $164

1.49%

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

$75.5 $75.5

$82.4 $82.4

-8.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$69.9 $69.9

-1.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 $58.2

$55.6 $55.6

4.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.43 $25.43

$10.08 $10.08

152.28%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$16.38 $16.38

-8.30%

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

$2,293 $2,293

$1,888 $1,888

21.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K $33.6K

$36.4K $36.4K

-7.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 $70.9

$65.4 $65.4

8.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.11 $45.11

$43.45 $43.45

3.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$106 $106

-2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$125 $125

7.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 $1,972

$2,135 $2,135

-7.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 $1,637

$1,836 $1,836

-10.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,367 $3,367

$3,370 $3,370

-0.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,592 $2,592

$3,179 $3,179

-18.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,506 $5,506

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,491 $3,491

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,947 $4,947

$5,520 $5,520

-10.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.9

6.63

4.07%

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

Last update for Denver, CO: October 27, 2026

Last update for Herndon, VA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denver, CO

$1.6K 52%

Herndon, VA

$1.8K 55.7% 12.1% $199

Groceries & Markets

Denver, CO

$503 16%

Herndon, VA

$478 14.5% 5% $25

Eating Out

Denver, CO

$340 10.8%

Herndon, VA

$374 11.4% 9.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denver, CO

$311 9.9%

Herndon, VA

$316 9.6% 1.7% $5.2

Clothing & Footwear

Denver, CO

$159 5.1%

Herndon, VA

$153 4.6% 3.8% $6.1

Getting Around

Denver, CO

$112 3.6%

Herndon, VA

$51 1.5% 54.7% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Denver, CO

$88 2.8%

Herndon, VA

$88 2.7% 0.1% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,972 in Denver, CO and $2,135 in Herndon, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Herndon, VA pays 12% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Denver, CO vs $99 in Herndon, VA. Groceries flip the comparison at $503 vs $478, with Herndon, VA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🇺🇸 Herndon, VA

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

13:49 1:49 PM

2 h ahead of Denver, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

715,522

24,655

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Denver, CO Herndon, VA 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Denver, CO
Herndon, VA

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

Denver, CO vs Herndon, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Denver, CO wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Herndon, VA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Denver, CO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Denver, CO. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,972 in Denver, CO versus $2,135 in Herndon, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Herndon, VA pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Denver, CO – a meal for two runs $85 versus $99 in Herndon, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Denver, CO is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Denver, CO wins on affordability, Herndon, VA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.