Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in Colorado — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Pueblo (index 77, rent $1,316/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 11 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in Colorado — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Pueblo (index 77, rent $1,316/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 11 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
At $1,316/month for rent and a cost index of 77, Pueblo is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. Income is $55,305. You get the picture.
Bottom line: Pueblo leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
#1 Ranked: Pueblo — cost index 77, rent $1,316/mo, income $55,305
43-point cost gap between #1 and #11
8 of 11 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
111,077 residents · Colorado
A closer look at Pueblo: the cost index of 77 breaks down to a Housing index of 77 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 95 (weakest). You get the picture. Median rent is $1,316/month — 31% below the national median — while household income sits at $55,305, meaning locals spend about 29% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
112,609 residents · Colorado
A closer look at Greeley: the cost index of 84 breaks down to a Housing index of 84 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 97 (weakest). Take it or leave it — the data is what it is. Median rent is $1,442/month — 24% below the national median — while household income sits at $68,650, meaning locals spend about 25% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
488,664 residents · Colorado
Here's Colorado Springs by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 97. Rent: $1,667/month — for better or worse — . Income: $83,198/year. Home price: $446,132. Population: 488,664. The strongest category is Housing at 97; the most expensive is Healthcare at 99. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,736 per year vs. the national median. That's a spread that makes moving costs look trivial.
177,563 residents · Colorado
A closer look at Aurora: the cost index of 99 breaks down to a Housing index of 99 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 100 (weakest). Median rent is $1,689/month — 11% below the national median — while household income sits at $84,320, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
155,961 residents · Colorado
The #5 spot goes to Lakewood, and the breakdown explains why. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. Renters here pay $1,733/month — we had to double-check this one — — saving renters $1,944 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Healthcare is the standout at index 100, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 101. At a 24% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
| Rank | City | Housing Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pueblo | 77 | 77 | $1,316 | Details |
| 2 | Greeley | 84 | 84 | $1,442 | Details |
| 3 | Colorado Springs | 97 | 97 | $1,667 | Details |
| 4 | Aurora | 99 | 99 | $1,689 | Details |
| 5 | Lakewood | 101 | 101 | $1,733 | Details |
| 6 | Westminster | 104 | 104 | $1,788 | Details |
| 7 | Denver | 106 | 106 | $1,818 | Details |
| 8 | Thornton | 110 | 110 | $1,888 | Details |
| 9 | Fort Collins | 115 | 115 | $1,970 | Details |
| 10 | Arvada | 120 | 120 | $2,053 | Details |
| 11 | Centennial | 120 | 120 | $2,056 | Details |
Cities are ranked by their housing cost sub-index within Colorado. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Pueblo ranks #1 in Colorado for this analysis with a cost index of 77 and median income of $55,305.
Pueblo, CO has the lowest housing index at 77, compared to the national average of 100.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Pueblo (ranked #1) has a cost index of 77 and rent of $1,316/mo, while Centennial (ranked #11) has a cost index of 120 and rent of $2,056/mo — a 43-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Pueblo is $1,316/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $579 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Pueblo is $283,780, which is 5.1× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Colorado has a 4.4% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.81%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.49%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.