Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacoma, WA: $3,015 a month against $3,212 in Denver, CO, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Denver, CO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

155

Cost of Living Index in Denver, CO
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Denver, CO Living Index
146

Cost of Living Index in Tacoma, WA
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Tacoma, WA Living Index

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Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,212

/mo nomad

Tacoma, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Denver, CO and in Tacoma, 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 Tacoma, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,212 in Denver, CO versus $3,015 in Tacoma, WA.

Denver, CO $3,212
Tacoma, WA $3,015

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,651 in Denver, CO versus $4,420 in Tacoma, WA.

Denver, CO $4,651
Tacoma, WA $4,420

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,090 in Denver, CO versus $5,826 in Tacoma, WA.

Denver, CO $6,090
Tacoma, WA $5,826

Living in Denver, CO is roughly 7% more expensive than in Tacoma, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Denver, CO 138% above, Tacoma, WA 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$24.63 $24.63

-17.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 $85.2

$79.4 $79.4

7.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 $11.74

$12.21 $12.21

-3.85%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$5.78 $5.78

0.35%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$3.12 $3.12

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.61 $2.61

-11.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.14 $7.14

$6.90 $6.90

3.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 $8.12

$7.15 $7.15

13.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.09 $1.09

3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$5.47 $5.47

$4.18 $4.18

30.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$5.97 $5.97

19.26%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$5.65 $5.65

-10.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$16.02 $16.02

3.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.95 $16.95

$15.97 $15.97

6.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.44 $18.44

$23.20 $23.20

-20.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$5.16 $5.16

-1.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.76 $1.76

19.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.16 $4.16

13.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$4.69 $4.69

13.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.74 $2.74

-5.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.96 $2.96

-7.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.75 $1.75

36.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.27 $3.27

-22.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 $10.66

$11.92 $11.92

-10.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.83 $18.83

$18.45 $18.45

2.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.77 $1.77

54.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$4.80 $4.80

-24.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.97 $1.97

37.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.0 $87.0

$62.2 $62.2

39.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.58 $2.58

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.64 $1.64

4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.36 $30.36

$30.52 $30.52

-0.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.39 $1.39

-26.62%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$36.6K $36.6K

-4.88%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$27.8K $27.8K

-8.01%

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

$166 $166

$231 $231

-28.34%

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

$77.1 $77.1

$93.0 $93.0

-17.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.3 $70.3

$85.6 $85.6

-17.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 $60.6

$42.69 $42.69

41.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.84 $24.84

$18.68 $18.68

32.98%

Cinema Ticket

$15.17 $15.17

$17.26 $17.26

-12.11%

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

$2,375 $2,375

$2,097 $2,097

13.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K $33.6K

$32.4K $32.4K

3.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 $70.7

$60.9 $60.9

16.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.74 $45.74

$45.05 $45.05

1.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$85.8 $85.8

17.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$127 $127

2.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 $1,999

$1,722 $1,722

16.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 $1,703

$1,440 $1,440

18.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,250 $3,250

$2,789 $2,789

16.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,679 $2,679

$2,387 $2,387

12.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,737 $5,737

$4,895 $4,895

17.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,680 $3,680

$3,574 $3,574

2.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,540 $4,540

$4,846 $4,846

-6.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.9

6.64

3.92%

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

Last update for Denver, CO: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tacoma, WA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denver, CO

$1.7K 53%

Tacoma, WA

$1.4K 47.8% 15.5% $263

Groceries & Markets

Denver, CO

$500 15.6%

Tacoma, WA

$489 16.2% 2.2% $11

Eating Out

Denver, CO

$339 10.6%

Tacoma, WA

$375 12.4% 10.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denver, CO

$313 9.8%

Tacoma, WA

$410 13.6% 30.9% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Denver, CO

$156 4.9%

Tacoma, WA

$143 4.8% 8.3% $13

Getting Around

Denver, CO

$110 3.4%

Tacoma, WA

$81 2.7% 26.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Denver, CO

$91 2.8%

Tacoma, WA

$77 2.6% 15.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,999 in Denver, CO and $1,722 in Tacoma, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tacoma, WA pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Denver, CO vs $79.0 in Tacoma, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $489 per month, with Tacoma, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🇺🇸 Tacoma, WA

🕒 Local time

19:02 7:02 PM

18:02 6:02 PM

1 h behind Denver, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

715,522

219,346

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Denver, CO Tacoma, WA 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Denver, CO
Tacoma, WA

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Denver, CO vs Tacoma, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tacoma, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Denver, CO. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tacoma, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Tacoma, WA. 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 $1,722 in Tacoma, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Tacoma, WA – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $85.0 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. Tacoma, WA 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 Tacoma, WA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,015 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tacoma, WA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Denver, CO and Tacoma, WA 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 Tacoma, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Denver, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.