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Denver vs Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia
At a glance
- Where Philadelphia is clearly cheaper: SIM card (17%โ)
- Where Denver is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (29%โ), Entry ticket (17%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Philadelphia is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Denver 2 vs Philadelphia 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Denver | Philadelphia | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 20$20 | $ 22$22 | Denver โ9% |
| Street food1 item | $ 13$13 | $ 12$12 | Philadelphia โ8% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 45$45 | $ 42$42 | Philadelphia โ7% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | $ 5.1$5.1 | Philadelphia โ15% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 7.5$7.5 | $ 6.5$6.5 | Philadelphia โ13% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 16$16 | $ 14$14 | Philadelphia โ12% |
| Bottled water | $ 2.2$2.2 | $ 2$2 | Philadelphia โ9% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.9$2.9 | $ 2.8$2.8 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 15$15 | $ 15$15 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 10$10 | $ 9$9 | Philadelphia โ10% |
| Transitone ride | $ 2.75$2.75 | $ 2.9$2.9 | Denver โ5% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 25$25 | $ 35$35 | Denver โ29% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 180$180 | $ 175$175 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 1,700$1,700 | $ 1,550$1,550 | Philadelphia โ9% |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | $ 4$4 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | $ 25$25 | Philadelphia โ17% |
| Haircutcut | $ 30$30 | $ 33$33 | Denver โ9% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 100$100 | $ 90$90 | Philadelphia โ10% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 60$60 | $ 55$55 | Philadelphia โ8% |
| 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 Philadelphia?
Denver and Philadelphia cost about the same. Daily budget $341 vs $336; a month $6,344 vs $6,015.
Which is easier to travel, Denver or Philadelphia?
Philadelphia is easier: Philadelphia 1.4/5 vs Denver 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Denver and Philadelphia?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Denver is about $6,344 and Philadelphia about $6,015 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.