Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Denver, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Denver, CO: $3,212 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
155

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Denver, CO

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,950 in New York, NY versus $3,212 in Denver, CO.

New York, NY $4,950
Denver, CO $3,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,265 in New York, NY versus $4,651 in Denver, CO.

New York, NY $7,265
Denver, CO $4,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,581 in New York, NY versus $6,090 in Denver, CO.

New York, NY $9,581
Denver, CO $6,090

Living in New York, NY is roughly 54% more expensive than in Denver, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 267% above, Denver, CO 138% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$20.22 $20.22

21.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$85.2 $85.2

42.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$11.74 $11.74

18.48%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.80 $5.80

13.62%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.86 $2.86

34.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.30 $2.30

24.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$7.14 $7.14

9.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$8.12 $8.12

21.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.13 $1.13

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$5.47 $5.47

-14.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$7.12 $7.12

5.90%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$5.03 $5.03

17.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$16.62 $16.62

13.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$16.95 $16.95

2.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$18.44 $18.44

0.38%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$5.10 $5.10

32.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.10 $2.10

-0.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.71 $4.71

28.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$5.32 $5.32

26.69%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.58 $2.58

56.98%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.74 $2.74

59.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.38 $2.38

21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.52 $2.52

3.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.66 $10.66

75.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$18.83 $18.83

6.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.74 $2.74

18.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.63 $3.63

2.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.71 $2.71

12.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$87.0 $87.0

61.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.44 $3.44

-11.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.72 $1.72

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$30.36 $30.36

37.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.02 $1.02

9.80%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$34.8K $34.8K

1.77%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.6K $25.6K

1.79%

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

$219 $219

$166 $166

32.20%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$77.1 $77.1

-5.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$70.3 $70.3

2.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$60.6 $60.6

102.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

$24.84 $24.84

172.42%

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$15.17 $15.17

50.63%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$2,375 $2,375

40.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$33.6K $33.6K

78.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$70.7 $70.7

6.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$45.74 $45.74

14.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$101 $101

20.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$130 $130

2.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$1,999 $1,999

119.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$1,703 $1,703

83.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$3,250 $3,250

174.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$2,679 $2,679

99.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$5,737 $5,737

238.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$3,680 $3,680

84.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$4,540 $4,540

17.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.9

-1.16%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for Denver, CO: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

Denver, CO

$1.7K 53% 45.6% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Denver, CO

$500 15.6% 8.3% $45

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Denver, CO

$339 10.6% 15.9% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Denver, CO

$313 9.8% 14% $51

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Denver, CO

$156 4.9% 9.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Denver, CO

$91 2.8% 46% $77

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Denver, CO

$110 3.4% 34% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,389 in New York, NY and $1,999 in Denver, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 18% 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: $122 in New York, NY vs $85.0 in Denver, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $500 per month, with Denver, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

04:07 4:07 AM

2 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

715,522

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Denver, CO 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Denver, CO

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

New York, NY vs Denver, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Denver, CO wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Denver, CO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% higher in New York, NY, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,389 in New York, NY versus $1,999 in Denver, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in New York, NY. 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 $122 in New York, NY. 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, New York, NY and Denver, CO 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 54% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.