Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

146

Cost of Living Index in Tacoma, WA
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Tacoma, WA Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Denver, CO
Learn more

Denver, CO Living Index

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Tacoma, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Tacoma, WA costs roughly 6% less than in Denver, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.63 $24.63

$20.22 $20.22

21.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$85.2 $85.2

-6.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$11.74 $11.74

4.00%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.80 $5.80

-0.34%

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

$3.12 $3.12

$2.86 $2.86

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.30 $2.30

13.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 $6.90

$7.14 $7.14

-3.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$8.12 $8.12

-11.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.13 $1.13

-3.54%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 $4.18

$5.47 $5.47

-23.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$7.12 $7.12

-16.15%

Eggs

$5.65 $5.65

$5.03 $5.03

12.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.02 $16.02

$16.62 $16.62

-3.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.97 $15.97

$16.95 $16.95

-5.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.20 $23.20

$18.44 $18.44

25.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$5.10 $5.10

1.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.10 $2.10

-16.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$4.71 $4.71

-11.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.32 $5.32

-11.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.58 $2.58

6.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.74 $2.74

8.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.38 $2.38

-26.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.52 $2.52

29.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.92 $11.92

$10.66 $10.66

11.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.45 $18.45

$18.83 $18.83

-2.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.74 $2.74

-35.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 $4.80

$3.63 $3.63

32.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.71 $2.71

-27.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.2 $62.2

$87.0 $87.0

-28.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.44 $3.44

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.72 $1.72

-4.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.52 $30.52

$30.36 $30.36

0.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.02 $1.02

36.27%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$34.8K $34.8K

5.13%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

8.70%

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

$231 $231

$166 $166

39.55%

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

$93.0 $93.0

$77.1 $77.1

20.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.6 $85.6

$70.3 $70.3

21.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.69 $42.69

$60.6 $60.6

-29.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 $18.68

$24.84 $24.84

-24.80%

Cinema Ticket

$17.26 $17.26

$15.17 $15.17

13.78%

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

$2,097 $2,097

$2,375 $2,375

-11.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K $32.4K

$33.6K $33.6K

-3.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 $60.9

$70.7 $70.7

-13.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.05 $45.05

$45.74 $45.74

-1.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 $85.8

$101 $101

-14.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$130 $130

-2.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,722 $1,722

$1,999 $1,999

-13.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 $1,440

$1,703 $1,703

-15.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,789 $2,789

$3,250 $3,250

-14.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,387 $2,387

$2,679 $2,679

-10.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,895 $4,895

$5,737 $5,737

-14.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,574 $3,574

$3,680 $3,680

-2.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,846 $4,846

$4,540 $4,540

6.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.9

-3.77%

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

Last update for Tacoma, WA: 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

Tacoma, WA

$1.4K 47.8%

Denver, CO

$1.7K 53% 18.3% $263

Groceries & Markets

Tacoma, WA

$489 16.2%

Denver, CO

$500 15.6% 2.2% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacoma, WA

$410 13.6%

Denver, CO

$313 9.8% 23.6% $97

Eating Out

Tacoma, WA

$375 12.4%

Denver, CO

$339 10.6% 9.5% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Tacoma, WA

$143 4.8%

Denver, CO

$156 4.9% 9.1% $13

Getting Around

Tacoma, WA

$81 2.7%

Denver, CO

$110 3.4% 35.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Tacoma, WA

$77 2.6%

Denver, CO

$91 2.8% 17.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,722 in Tacoma, WA and $1,999 in Denver, CO. 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: $79.0 in Tacoma, WA vs $85.0 in Denver, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $500 per month, with Tacoma, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tacoma, WA

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

18:16 6:16 PM

1 h ahead of Tacoma, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,346

715,522

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Tacoma, WA
Denver, CO

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tacoma, WA vs Denver, CO: 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.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Tacoma, WA, 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: $1,722 in Tacoma, WA 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 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, Tacoma, WA 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 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.