Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver, CO and Santa Rosa, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Denver, CO: $3,212 a month against $3,498 in Santa Rosa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Denver, CO
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Denver, CO Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa, CA
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Santa Rosa, CA Living Index

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Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,212

/mo nomad

Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Denver, CO and in Santa Rosa, CA

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 Santa Rosa, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,212 in Denver, CO versus $3,498 in Santa Rosa, CA.

Denver, CO $3,212
Santa Rosa, CA $3,498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,651 in Denver, CO versus $4,975 in Santa Rosa, CA.

Denver, CO $4,651
Santa Rosa, CA $4,975

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,090 in Denver, CO versus $6,451 in Santa Rosa, CA.

Denver, CO $6,090
Santa Rosa, CA $6,451

Living in Denver, CO costs roughly 8% less than in Santa Rosa, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Denver, CO 138% above, Santa Rosa, CA 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$27.30 $27.30

-25.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 $85.2

$89.0 $89.0

-4.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 $11.74

$12.12 $12.12

-3.14%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$6.45 $6.45

-10.08%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$3.22 $3.22

-11.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.24 $3.24

-29.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.14 $7.14

$8.11 $8.11

-11.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 $8.12

$8.84 $8.84

-8.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.37 $1.37

-17.52%

White Bread (500g)

$5.47 $5.47

$4.54 $4.54

20.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.73 $4.73

50.53%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$5.31 $5.31

-5.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$22.22 $22.22

-25.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.95 $16.95

$15.12 $15.12

12.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.44 $18.44

$21.16 $21.16

-12.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$6.07 $6.07

-15.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.48 $2.48

-15.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$6.97 $6.97

-32.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$6.98 $6.98

-23.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.01 $4.01

-35.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.59 $3.59

-23.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.14 $3.14

-24.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.04 $2.04

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 $10.66

$12.02 $12.02

-11.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.83 $18.83

$11.91 $11.91

58.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.07 $2.07

32.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$2.07 $2.07

75.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.52 $1.52

78.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.0 $87.0

$44.18 $44.18

96.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.96 $3.96

-13.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.88 $1.88

-8.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.36 $30.36

$28.85 $28.85

5.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.50 $1.50

-32.00%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$37.5K $37.5K

-7.14%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$27.5K $27.5K

-7.06%

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

$166 $166

$190 $190

-12.71%

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

$77.1 $77.1

$48.39 $48.39

59.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.3 $70.3

$73.4 $73.4

-4.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 $60.6

$73.5 $73.5

-17.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.84 $24.84

$13.92 $13.92

78.45%

Cinema Ticket

$15.17 $15.17

$14.78 $14.78

2.64%

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

$2,375 $2,375

$1,272 $1,272

86.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K $33.6K

$39.2K $39.2K

-14.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 $70.7

$49.97 $49.97

41.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.74 $45.74

$37.00 $37.00

23.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$106 $106

-5.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$127 $127

2.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 $1,999

$2,350 $2,350

-14.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 $1,703

$1,952 $1,952

-12.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,250 $3,250

$3,529 $3,529

-7.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,679 $2,679

$2,944 $2,944

-9.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,737 $5,737

$4,569 $4,569

25.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,680 $3,680

$4,662 $4,662

-21.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,540 $4,540

$4,667 $4,667

-2.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.9

6.46

6.81%

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

Last update for Denver, CO: October 11, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denver, CO

$1.7K 53%

Santa Rosa, CA

$2K 55.8% 14.6% $249

Groceries & Markets

Denver, CO

$500 15.6%

Santa Rosa, CA

$508 14.5% 1.6% $7.9

Eating Out

Denver, CO

$339 10.6%

Santa Rosa, CA

$416 11.9% 22.7% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denver, CO

$313 9.8%

Santa Rosa, CA

$312 8.9% 0.5% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Denver, CO

$156 4.9%

Santa Rosa, CA

$144 4.1% 7.8% $12

Getting Around

Denver, CO

$110 3.4%

Santa Rosa, CA

$64 1.8% 42.1% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Denver, CO

$91 2.8%

Santa Rosa, CA

$103 3% 13.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,999 in Denver, CO and $2,350 in Santa Rosa, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Rosa, CA pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Denver, CO vs $89.0 in Santa Rosa, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $508 per month, with Denver, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🇺🇸 Santa Rosa, CA

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

02:29 2:29 AM

1 h behind Denver, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

715,522

174,972

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Denver, CO Santa Rosa, CA 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Denver, CO
Santa Rosa, 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

Denver, CO vs Santa Rosa, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Denver, CO wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Santa Rosa, CA. 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 3% lower in Santa Rosa, CA. 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: $1,999 in Denver, CO versus $2,350 in Santa Rosa, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Santa Rosa, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Denver, CO – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $89.0 in Santa Rosa, CA. 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 work as nomad bases, but Denver, CO delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,212 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Denver, CO hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Denver, CO and Santa Rosa, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Denver, CO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Santa Rosa, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.