Boulder, CO vs Denver, CO: cost of living compared
Price levels from BEA (2024); rent and home values from Zillow (September 2026).
The short answer
- Overall, living costs in Denver, CO and Boulder, CO are within 1% of each other (BEA, 2024).
- To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Boulder works out to about $75,400 in Denver, before taxes.
- Housing is 6.4% lower in Denver, goods 5.1% higher and other services 0.4% lower, which roughly cancel out.
- Typical asking rent is $1,900 a month in Denver and $2,196 in Boulder, $3,552 a year less in Denver (Zillow, September 2026).
- A typical home is valued at about $555,000 in Denver and $707,000 in Boulder.
- The gap is about where it was in 2019 (1.0%).
derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities (2024) and Zillow data. Based on an average household's spending; taxes not included. How we calculate.
Category by category
Both cities against the US average (100). The gap in each row is what matters for a move.
Overall prices are about the same in Boulder and Denver
Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.
- Boulder, CO
- Denver, CO
All items Boulder, CO: 105.2 Denver, CO: 105.8
Goods Boulder, CO: 96.1 Denver, CO: 101.0
Housing (rents) Boulder, CO: 157.0 Denver, CO: 146.9
Utilities Boulder, CO: 82.7 Denver, CO: 87.9
Other services Boulder, CO: 99.8 Denver, CO: 99.4
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Boulder, CO | Denver, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| All items | 105.2 | 105.8 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 101.0 |
| Housing (rents) | 157.0 | 146.9 |
| Utilities | 82.7 | 87.9 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 99.4 |
| Category | Boulder | Denver | Denver vs Boulder |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 105.2 | 105.8 | +0.6% |
| Goods | 96.1 | 101.0 | +5.1% |
| Housing (rents) | 157.0 | 146.9 | −6.4% |
| Utilities | 82.7 | 87.9 | +6.2% |
| Other services | 99.8 | 99.4 | −0.4% |
| Typical asking rent | $2,196 | $1,900 | −13.5% |
| Typical home value | $707,000 | $555,000 | −21.4% |
| Salary to match $75,000 in Boulder | $75,000 | $75,400 | +0.6% |
Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Rent and home values: Data Provided by Zillow Group, September 2026.
How the gap has changed since 2008
The price gap between Boulder and Denver has narrowed since 2008: 2.7 points then, 0.6 now
Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.
- Boulder, CO
- Denver, CO
US average = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Boulder, CO | Denver, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 108.5 | 105.8 |
| 2009 | 105.6 | 103.3 |
| 2010 | 104.5 | 101.9 |
| 2011 | 107.1 | 105.0 |
| 2012 | 107.5 | 105.1 |
| 2013 | 105.8 | 104.9 |
| 2014 | 106.3 | 104.8 |
| 2015 | 106.8 | 105.0 |
| 2016 | 105.6 | 105.2 |
| 2017 | 105.3 | 104.3 |
| 2018 | 101.7 | 102.4 |
| 2019 | 105.5 | 104.4 |
| 2020 | 101.7 | 109.4 |
| 2021 | 100.9 | 109.1 |
| 2022 | 99.9 | 107.3 |
| 2023 | 100.6 | 105.8 |
| 2024 | 105.2 | 105.8 |
Goods
- Boulder, CO
- Denver, CO
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Boulder, CO | Denver, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 108.1 | 107.9 |
| 2009 | 103.0 | 102.9 |
| 2010 | 103.0 | 102.9 |
| 2011 | 103.3 | 103.2 |
| 2012 | 102.9 | 102.7 |
| 2013 | 103.1 | 102.9 |
| 2014 | 101.8 | 101.7 |
| 2015 | 100.3 | 100.4 |
| 2016 | 100.4 | 100.5 |
| 2017 | 99.1 | 99.2 |
| 2018 | 96.0 | 98.8 |
| 2019 | 99.2 | 103.5 |
| 2020 | 96.1 | 107.1 |
| 2021 | 96.3 | 106.7 |
| 2022 | 96.4 | 105.2 |
| 2023 | 96.3 | 101.6 |
| 2024 | 96.1 | 101.0 |
Housing (rents)
- Boulder, CO
- Denver, CO
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Boulder, CO | Denver, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 145.7 | 122.8 |
| 2009 | 139.7 | 120.0 |
| 2010 | 144.5 | 123.1 |
| 2011 | 151.0 | 131.1 |
| 2012 | 145.8 | 127.5 |
| 2013 | 135.8 | 128.7 |
| 2014 | 149.0 | 134.3 |
| 2015 | 159.2 | 141.6 |
| 2016 | 151.5 | 147.2 |
| 2017 | 157.9 | 148.2 |
| 2018 | 151.8 | 148.3 |
| 2019 | 170.6 | 147.3 |
| 2020 | 146.5 | 152.6 |
| 2021 | 166.3 | 146.2 |
| 2022 | 150.3 | 145.6 |
| 2023 | 148.6 | 146.1 |
| 2024 | 157.0 | 146.9 |
Utilities
- Boulder, CO
- Denver, CO
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Boulder, CO | Denver, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 78.8 | 79.3 |
| 2009 | 78.7 | 78.9 |
| 2010 | 81.5 | 81.9 |
| 2011 | 90.3 | 90.8 |
| 2012 | 81.5 | 81.7 |
| 2013 | 79.1 | 79.5 |
| 2014 | 97.7 | 98.6 |
| 2015 | 86.6 | 87.2 |
| 2016 | 87.6 | 88.6 |
| 2017 | 84.2 | 85.1 |
| 2018 | 80.6 | 88.7 |
| 2019 | 84.5 | 93.2 |
| 2020 | 83.8 | 95.0 |
| 2021 | 79.0 | 92.6 |
| 2022 | 84.5 | 95.2 |
| 2023 | 78.8 | 95.9 |
| 2024 | 82.7 | 87.9 |
Other services
- Boulder, CO
- Denver, CO
US = 100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).
Show the numbers
| Boulder, CO | Denver, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 101.3 | 101.3 |
| 2009 | 100.2 | 100.2 |
| 2010 | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| 2011 | 99.8 | 99.8 |
| 2012 | 102.1 | 101.9 |
| 2013 | 101.3 | 101.2 |
| 2014 | 99.8 | 99.8 |
| 2015 | 99.9 | 99.8 |
| 2016 | 99.0 | 98.9 |
| 2017 | 98.2 | 98.3 |
| 2018 | 95.6 | 95.1 |
| 2019 | 96.5 | 95.5 |
| 2020 | 94.7 | 100.4 |
| 2021 | 91.1 | 101.9 |
| 2022 | 91.6 | 100.0 |
| 2023 | 93.1 | 99.3 |
| 2024 | 99.8 | 99.4 |
Rent and home values
Typical asking rent: $1,900 in Denver vs $2,196 in Boulder
Typical asking rent for a new lease, dollars per month. Quarterly.
- Boulder, CO
- Denver, CO
- United States
Source: Zillow Observed Rent Index (typical asking rent, all homes, smoothed), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Boulder, CO | Denver, CO | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $1,357 | $1,273 | $1,145 |
| Jun 2015 | $1,400 | $1,321 | $1,170 |
| Sep 2015 | $1,444 | $1,333 | $1,181 |
| Dec 2015 | $1,425 | $1,336 | $1,182 |
| Mar 2016 | $1,464 | $1,357 | $1,195 |
| Jun 2016 | $1,479 | $1,386 | $1,219 |
| Sep 2016 | $1,472 | $1,384 | $1,225 |
| Dec 2016 | $1,448 | $1,369 | $1,222 |
| Mar 2017 | $1,513 | $1,405 | $1,245 |
| Jun 2017 | $1,534 | $1,445 | $1,270 |
| Sep 2017 | $1,537 | $1,450 | $1,276 |
| Dec 2017 | $1,543 | $1,442 | $1,275 |
| Mar 2018 | $1,561 | $1,469 | $1,296 |
| Jun 2018 | $1,599 | $1,499 | $1,320 |
| Sep 2018 | $1,612 | $1,502 | $1,327 |
| Dec 2018 | $1,602 | $1,500 | $1,329 |
| Mar 2019 | $1,634 | $1,525 | $1,349 |
| Jun 2019 | $1,658 | $1,557 | $1,376 |
| Sep 2019 | $1,655 | $1,556 | $1,383 |
| Dec 2019 | $1,669 | $1,555 | $1,381 |
| Mar 2020 | $1,686 | $1,571 | $1,402 |
| Jun 2020 | $1,676 | $1,559 | $1,406 |
| Sep 2020 | $1,698 | $1,573 | $1,410 |
| Dec 2020 | $1,687 | $1,553 | $1,407 |
| Mar 2021 | $1,738 | $1,585 | $1,443 |
| Jun 2021 | $1,806 | $1,674 | $1,512 |
| Sep 2021 | $1,874 | $1,757 | $1,590 |
| Dec 2021 | $1,873 | $1,758 | $1,622 |
| Mar 2022 | $1,948 | $1,806 | $1,661 |
| Jun 2022 | $1,993 | $1,871 | $1,721 |
| Sep 2022 | $2,010 | $1,877 | $1,748 |
| Dec 2022 | $1,989 | $1,844 | $1,735 |
| Mar 2023 | $2,025 | $1,878 | $1,757 |
| Jun 2023 | $2,080 | $1,917 | $1,785 |
| Sep 2023 | $2,094 | $1,924 | $1,797 |
| Dec 2023 | $2,079 | $1,892 | $1,786 |
| Mar 2024 | $2,095 | $1,920 | $1,807 |
| Jun 2024 | $2,154 | $1,953 | $1,837 |
| Sep 2024 | $2,154 | $1,946 | $1,845 |
| Dec 2024 | $2,152 | $1,879 | $1,836 |
| Mar 2025 | $2,143 | $1,892 | $1,860 |
| Jun 2025 | $2,191 | $1,925 | $1,880 |
| Sep 2025 | $2,142 | $1,899 | $1,881 |
| Dec 2025 | $2,130 | $1,849 | $1,873 |
| Mar 2026 | $2,166 | $1,865 | $1,894 |
| Jun 2026 | $2,216 | $1,899 | $1,921 |
| Sep 2026 | $2,196 | $1,900 | $1,932 |
Typical home value: $555,000 in Denver vs $707,000 in Boulder
Typical home value, dollars. Quarterly.
- Boulder, CO
- Denver, CO
- United States
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (typical home value, middle tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted), through September 2026. Data Provided by Zillow Group.
Show the numbers
| Boulder, CO | Denver, CO | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2015 | $391K | $299K | $189K |
| Jun 2015 | $402K | $310K | $192K |
| Sep 2015 | $416K | $320K | $195K |
| Dec 2015 | $432K | $329K | $199K |
| Mar 2016 | $448K | $339K | $202K |
| Jun 2016 | $463K | $348K | $204K |
| Sep 2016 | $472K | $354K | $206K |
| Dec 2016 | $481K | $362K | $209K |
| Mar 2017 | $493K | $372K | $213K |
| Jun 2017 | $503K | $380K | $216K |
| Sep 2017 | $506K | $382K | $219K |
| Dec 2017 | $512K | $389K | $223K |
| Mar 2018 | $515K | $398K | $227K |
| Jun 2018 | $522K | $405K | $230K |
| Sep 2018 | $527K | $410K | $234K |
| Dec 2018 | $532K | $413K | $236K |
| Mar 2019 | $536K | $419K | $239K |
| Jun 2019 | $538K | $422K | $242K |
| Sep 2019 | $542K | $424K | $244K |
| Dec 2019 | $548K | $429K | $247K |
| Mar 2020 | $560K | $438K | $252K |
| Jun 2020 | $562K | $442K | $255K |
| Sep 2020 | $566K | $448K | $260K |
| Dec 2020 | $586K | $466K | $271K |
| Mar 2021 | $609K | $487K | $282K |
| Jun 2021 | $650K | $518K | $296K |
| Sep 2021 | $670K | $534K | $306K |
| Dec 2021 | $681K | $546K | $314K |
| Mar 2022 | $728K | $580K | $330K |
| Jun 2022 | $778K | $609K | $346K |
| Sep 2022 | $759K | $596K | $348K |
| Dec 2022 | $743K | $581K | $345K |
| Mar 2023 | $731K | $571K | $343K |
| Jun 2023 | $726K | $571K | $347K |
| Sep 2023 | $731K | $579K | $352K |
| Dec 2023 | $733K | $581K | $354K |
| Mar 2024 | $734K | $581K | $357K |
| Jun 2024 | $734K | $582K | $361K |
| Sep 2024 | $731K | $583K | $361K |
| Dec 2024 | $735K | $585K | $363K |
| Mar 2025 | $733K | $580K | $364K |
| Jun 2025 | $717K | $569K | $362K |
| Sep 2025 | $710K | $565K | $362K |
| Dec 2025 | $714K | $567K | $364K |
| Mar 2026 | $710K | $562K | $366K |
| Jun 2026 | $703K | $554K | $365K |
| Sep 2026 | $707K | $555K | $366K |
More about each city
Related comparisons
What this comparison leaves out
- Taxes. State and local income, sales and property taxes can change the result a lot, especially between states.
- Neighborhoods. These are metro-wide averages; a city center and its outer suburbs can differ by more than two metros do.
- Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider above if rent is a bigger share of your budget.
- Timing. BEA price levels are for 2024; Zillow figures are monthly and newer.