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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Denver breaks the usual trade-off between income and cost of living. There's not much to say about that beyond the obvious. Most affordable cities pay less — but Denver delivers a median household income of $91,681 (14% above the national median) while keeping costs 5 points below national average. …
Denver breaks the usual trade-off between income and cost of living. There's not much to say about that beyond the obvious. Most affordable cities pay less — but Denver delivers a median household income of $91,681 (14% above the national median) while keeping costs 5 points below national average. That's a rare combination shared by only 40 of the 288 cities we track (that's pre-tax, of course).
The numbers for Denver are straightforward: 106 on the cost index, $1,818/month rent, $91,681 income. And broadly, not the most exciting entry in the list, but solid. It's fine. Not great, not bad (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
Bottom line: Denver, CO 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 (your mileage may vary — literally).
#1 Ranked: Denver, CO — cost index 106, rent $1,818/mo, income $91,681
Denver: high income, low cost — a rare combo
2 of 2 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
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DenverCO | 106 | $1,818 | Details |
| 2 | Las VegasNV | 99 | $1,695 | Details |
716,577 residents · Colorado
What does daily life actually cost in Denver? Start with the 24% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. And on balance, on the category level, Healthcare (index 101) is where the real savings show up, while Housing (index 106) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $91,681 and homes at $530,920 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
660,929 residents · Nevada
The #2 spot goes to Las Vegas, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,695/month — which, honestly, is lower than you'd expect here — — saving renters $2,400 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 99, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 100. A 29% rent-to-income ratio keeps most households inside the safe zone (not adjusted for inflation, but still telling).
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.
Denver (ranked #1) has a cost index of 106 and rent of $1,818/mo, while Las Vegas (ranked #2) has a cost index of 99 and rent of $1,695/mo — a 7-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 Denver is $1,818/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $77 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Denver is $530,920, which is 5.8× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
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.