Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

171

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa, CA
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Santa Rosa, CA Living Index
155

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

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Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,498

/mo nomad

Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Santa Rosa, CA is roughly 9% more expensive than in Denver, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.30 $27.30

$20.22 $20.22

35.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 $89.0

$85.2 $85.2

4.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.74 $11.74

3.24%

Cappuccino

$6.45 $6.45

$5.80 $5.80

11.21%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.86 $2.86

12.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.30 $2.30

40.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 $8.11

$7.14 $7.14

13.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.12 $8.12

8.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.13 $1.13

21.24%

White Bread (500g)

$4.54 $4.54

$5.47 $5.47

-17.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$7.12 $7.12

-33.57%

Eggs

$5.31 $5.31

$5.03 $5.03

5.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.22 $22.22

$16.62 $16.62

33.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.12 $15.12

$16.95 $16.95

-10.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.16 $21.16

$18.44 $18.44

14.75%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$5.10 $5.10

19.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.10 $2.10

18.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.97 $6.97

$4.71 $4.71

47.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.98 $6.98

$5.32 $5.32

31.20%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.58 $2.58

55.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.74 $2.74

31.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.38 $2.38

31.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.52 $2.52

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.02 $12.02

$10.66 $10.66

12.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.91 $11.91

$18.83 $18.83

-36.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.74 $2.74

-24.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.63 $3.63

-42.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.71 $2.71

-43.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 $44.18

$87.0 $87.0

-49.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.44 $3.44

15.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.72 $1.72

9.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.85 $28.85

$30.36 $30.36

-4.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.02 $1.02

47.06%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$34.8K $34.8K

7.69%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$25.6K $25.6K

7.60%

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

$190 $190

$166 $166

14.56%

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

$48.39 $48.39

$77.1 $77.1

-37.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.4 $73.4

$70.3 $70.3

4.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.5 $73.5

$60.6 $60.6

21.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.92 $13.92

$24.84 $24.84

-43.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 $14.78

$15.17 $15.17

-2.57%

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

$1,272 $1,272

$2,375 $2,375

-46.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.2K $39.2K

$33.6K $33.6K

16.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.97 $49.97

$70.7 $70.7

-29.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.00 $37.00

$45.74 $45.74

-19.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$101 $101

5.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$130 $130

-2.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,350 $2,350

$1,999 $1,999

17.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,952 $1,952

$1,703 $1,703

14.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,529 $3,529

$3,250 $3,250

8.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,944 $2,944

$2,679 $2,679

9.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,569 $4,569

$5,737 $5,737

-20.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,662 $4,662

$3,680 $3,680

26.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,667 $4,667

$4,540 $4,540

2.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.9

-6.38%

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

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

Last update for Denver, CO: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Rosa, CA

$2K 55.8%

Denver, CO

$1.7K 53% 12.7% $249

Groceries & Markets

Santa Rosa, CA

$508 14.5%

Denver, CO

$500 15.6% 1.6% $7.9

Eating Out

Santa Rosa, CA

$416 11.9%

Denver, CO

$339 10.6% 18.5% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Rosa, CA

$312 8.9%

Denver, CO

$313 9.8% 0.5% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Rosa, CA

$144 4.1%

Denver, CO

$156 4.9% 8.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Rosa, CA

$103 3%

Denver, CO

$91 2.8% 11.8% $12

Getting Around

Santa Rosa, CA

$64 1.8%

Denver, CO

$110 3.4% 72.7% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,350 in Santa Rosa, CA and $1,999 in Denver, CO. 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: $89.0 in Santa Rosa, CA vs $85.0 in Denver, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $508 vs $500 per month, with Denver, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🕒 Local time

10:27 10:27 AM

11:27 11:27 AM

1 h ahead of Santa Rosa, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,972

715,522

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Santa Rosa, CA
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

Santa Rosa, CA vs Denver, CO: 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.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Santa Rosa, CA, 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: $2,350 in Santa Rosa, CA 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 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, Santa Rosa, CA 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 9% less than in Santa Rosa, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.