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Denver vs Los Angeles cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Denver
๐บ๐ธ Los Angeles
At a glance
- Where Los Angeles is clearly cheaper: Transit (36%โ), Massage (25%โ), Street food (15%โ)
- Where Denver is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (29%โ), Half-day tour (20%โ), Studio rent (month) (19%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Denver is easier to travel (1.6 vs 2.0). Biggest gap: getting around โ Denver 2 vs Los Angeles 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Denver | Los Angeles | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 20$20 | $ 18$18 | Los Angeles โ10% |
| Street food1 item | $ 13$13 | $ 11$11 | Los Angeles โ15% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 45$45 | $ 48$48 | Denver โ6% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | $ 5.5$5.5 | Los Angeles โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 7.5$7.5 | $ 9$9 | Denver โ17% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 16$16 | $ 17$17 | Denver โ6% |
| Bottled water | $ 2.2$2.2 | $ 2$2 | Los Angeles โ9% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.9$2.9 | $ 3$3 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 15$15 | $ 18$18 | Denver โ17% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 10$10 | $ 10$10 | similar |
| Transitone ride | $ 2.75$2.75 | $ 1.75$1.75 | Los Angeles โ36% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 25$25 | $ 35$35 | Denver โ29% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 180$180 | $ 200$200 | Denver โ10% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 1,700$1,700 | $ 2,100$2,100 | Denver โ19% |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | $ 4$4 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | $ 26$26 | Los Angeles โ13% |
| Haircutcut | $ 30$30 | $ 30$30 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | $ 100$100 | $ 75$75 | Los Angeles โ25% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 60$60 | $ 75$75 | Denver โ20% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 25$25 | $ 28$28 | Denver โ11% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Denver or Los Angeles?
Denver is 10% cheaper than Los Angeles. Daily budget $341 vs $368; a month $6,344 vs $7,222.
Which is easier to travel, Denver or Los Angeles?
Denver is easier: Denver 1.6/5 vs Los Angeles 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Denver and Los Angeles?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Denver is about $6,344 and Los Angeles about $7,222 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.