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Denver vs New York 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 New York
At a glance
- Where New York is clearly cheaper: Street food (23%โ)
- Where Denver is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (63%โ), Studio rent (month) (48%โ), Taxi (35%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Denver | New York | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 20$20 | $ 20$20 | similar |
| Street food1 item | $ 13$13 | $ 10$10 | New York โ23% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 45$45 | $ 55$55 | Denver โ18% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | $ 6$6 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | $ 7.5$7.5 | $ 9$9 | Denver โ17% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 16$16 | $ 19$19 | Denver โ16% |
| Bottled water | $ 2.2$2.2 | $ 2$2 | New York โ9% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.9$2.9 | $ 3$3 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 15$15 | $ 23$23 | Denver โ35% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 10$10 | $ 14$14 | Denver โ29% |
| Transitone ride | $ 2.75$2.75 | $ 3$3 | Denver โ8% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 25$25 | $ 68$68 | Denver โ63% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 180$180 | $ 270$270 | Denver โ33% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 1,700$1,700 | $ 3,300$3,300 | Denver โ48% |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | $ 4.5$4.5 | Denver โ11% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | $ 30$30 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 30$30 | $ 42$42 | Denver โ29% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 100$100 | $ 100$100 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 60$60 | $ 80$80 | Denver โ25% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 25$25 | $ 30$30 | Denver โ17% |
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 New York?
Denver is 33% cheaper than New York. Daily budget $341 vs $467; a month $6,344 vs $10,297.
Which is easier to travel, Denver or New York?
About the same: Denver 1.6/5, New York 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Denver and New York?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Denver is about $6,344 and New York about $10,297 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.