Digital Nomads Cost of Living Guide: Colorado (2026)

The #2 spot goes to Colorado Springs, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,667/month — saving renters $2,736 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Housing is the standout at index 97, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Healthcare at 99. 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).

Here's Aurora by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 99. Rent: $1,689/month. Income: $84,320/year. Home price: $458,953. Population: 177,563. The strongest category is Housing at 99; the most expensive is Healthcare at 100. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $2,472 per year vs. the national median. That's a margin of safety most budgets don't have (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).

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). 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 (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).

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. That's about what we'd expect given the state context. 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 — we had to double-check this one — and homes at $530,920 round out a profile that ranks #5 for clear reasons. Solidly above average.