Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver, CO and Puyallup, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Denver, CO: $3,151 a month against $3,665 in Puyallup, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

151

Cost of Living Index in Denver, CO
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Denver, CO Living Index
175

Cost of Living Index in Puyallup, WA
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Puyallup, WA Living Index

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Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,151

/mo nomad

Puyallup, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,665

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Denver, CO and in Puyallup, WA

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 Puyallup, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,151 in Denver, CO versus $3,665 in Puyallup, WA.

Denver, CO $3,151
Puyallup, WA $3,665

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,582 in Denver, CO versus $5,096 in Puyallup, WA.

Denver, CO $4,582
Puyallup, WA $5,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,013 in Denver, CO versus $6,528 in Puyallup, WA.

Denver, CO $6,013
Puyallup, WA $6,528

Living in Denver, CO costs roughly 14% less than in Puyallup, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Denver, CO 132% above, Puyallup, WA 169% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.86 $19.86

$25.12 $25.12

-20.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$80.0 $80.0

5.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$15.06 $15.06

-20.65%

Cappuccino

$6.13 $6.13

$6.67 $6.67

-8.10%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$3.15 $3.15

-6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.11 $3.11

-26.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 $7.10

$8.14 $8.14

-12.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$8.17 $8.17

-4.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.11 $1.11

0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$5.58 $5.58

$4.65 $4.65

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.33 $7.33

$6.16 $6.16

18.99%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$5.50 $5.50

-7.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.37 $16.37

$18.00 $18.00

-9.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$16.79 $16.79

2.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.55 $18.55

$23.08 $23.08

-19.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$6.22 $6.22

-16.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.88 $1.88

11.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$5.28 $5.28

-6.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$6.57 $6.57

-19.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.59 $3.59

-25.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$3.31 $3.31

-14.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.70 $2.70

-11.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.60 $2.60

-6.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.76 $10.76

$12.32 $12.32

-12.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 $18.72

$17.64 $17.64

6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.68 $1.68

61.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.87 $4.87

-26.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.80 $4.80

-41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 $88.3

$174 $174

-49.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.52 $2.52

40.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.63 $1.63

9.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.56 $29.56

$30.06 $30.06

-1.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.35 $1.35

-21.48%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$33.1K $33.1K

-9.35%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.00%

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

$166 $166

$277 $277

-39.97%

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

$75.5 $75.5

$90.3 $90.3

-16.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$85.7 $85.7

-19.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 $58.2

$71.4 $71.4

-18.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.43 $25.43

$20.12 $20.12

26.39%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$17.65 $17.65

-14.90%

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

$2,293 $2,293

$2,781 $2,781

-17.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K $33.6K

$31.3K $31.3K

7.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 $70.9

$61.6 $61.6

15.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.11 $45.11

$44.99 $44.99

0.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$124 $124

-16.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$162 $162

-17.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 $1,972

$1,845 $1,845

6.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 $1,637

$1,796 $1,796

-8.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,367 $3,367

$2,720 $2,720

23.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,592 $2,592

$2,518 $2,518

2.95%

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

$6,740 $6,740

-26.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.9

6.68

3.29%

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

Last update for Denver, CO: October 27, 2026

Last update for Puyallup, WA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denver, CO

$1.6K 52%

Puyallup, WA

$1.8K 49% 9.7% $158

Groceries & Markets

Denver, CO

$503 16%

Puyallup, WA

$521 14.2% 3.5% $18

Eating Out

Denver, CO

$340 10.8%

Puyallup, WA

$408 11.1% 19.9% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denver, CO

$311 9.9%

Puyallup, WA

$453 12.4% 45.7% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Denver, CO

$159 5.1%

Puyallup, WA

$177 4.8% 11% $17

Getting Around

Denver, CO

$112 3.6%

Puyallup, WA

$204 5.6% 82.3% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Denver, CO

$88 2.8%

Puyallup, WA

$107 2.9% 21% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,972 in Denver, CO and $1,845 in Puyallup, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puyallup, WA pays 36% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Denver, CO vs $80 in Puyallup, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $503 vs $521, with Denver, CO cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🇺🇸 Puyallup, WA

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

13:50 1:50 PM

1 h behind Denver, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

715,522

42,973

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Denver, CO Puyallup, WA 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Denver, CO
Puyallup, WA

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 Puyallup, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Denver, CO wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Puyallup, WA. 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 27% 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 $1,845 in Puyallup, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Puyallup, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Puyallup, WA – a meal for two runs $80 versus $85 in Denver, CO. 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, Puyallup, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.