Los Angeles vs Denver
Los Angeles, CA · Denver, CO
Denver is 30% cheaper than Los Angeles overall.
Home Price
Los: $860,000
Denver: $565,000
Monthly Rent
Los: $2,050/mo
Denver: $1,395/mo
COL Index
Los: 173
Denver: 121
Median Income
Los: $76,000
Denver: $85,200
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Los Angeles has the same purchasing power as $69,942 in Denver — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Denver cost 34% more (-$295,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in Denver saves you $655/month — $7,860 per year. Median rent: $2,050/mo in Los Angeles vs $1,395/mo in Denver.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Los Angeles owners pay roughly $6,278/year in property taxes vs $3,108/year in Denver. That's a $3,171 annual difference.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $76,000 in Los Angeles and $85,200 in Denver. Los Angeles residents earn 12% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 32 minutes in Los Angeles vs 26 minutes in Denver. Over a year, that's 3000 extra minutes (50 hours) of commuting in Los Angeles.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Los Angeles to Denver, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Los Angeles | Equivalent in Denver | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $34,971 | -$15,029 |
| $75,000 | $52,457 | -$22,543 |
| $100,000 | $69,942 | -$30,058 |
| $150,000 | $104,913 | -$45,087 |
| $200,000 | $139,884 | -$60,116 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
Mortgage Calculator
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Rent vs Buy
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Cost of Living
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Affordability Calculator
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Property Tax Calculator
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Los Angeles Calculators
Denver Calculators
Related Comparisons
Los Angeles vs Denver: Common Questions
Is Los Angeles or Denver cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Denver is cheaper overall. Los Angeles has a COL index of 173 while Denver scores 121 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Los Angeles and Denver?
The median home price in Los Angeles is $860,000 vs $565,000 in Denver — a difference of $295,000 (34%).
What salary do I need in Denver to match my Los Angeles income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Los Angeles is equivalent to $69,942 in Denver in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Denver has a lower property tax rate (0.55% vs 0.73%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $3,108/year vs $6,278/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.