Question 1

Is Denver or Detroit cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Detroit, MI is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $422/month less than in Denver, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $2,089/mo in Denver versus $1,411/mo in Detroit.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Denver vs Detroit?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $84,000/year before tax in Denver, CO and $78,000/year in Detroit, MI — a difference of about $6,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Denver or Detroit cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Detroit, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $8,304/month in Denver and $7,360/month in Detroit, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to Denver or Detroit?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Detroit costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	Denver57	Detroit59
Est. monthly cost (single)	$4,471	$4,049
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$8,304	$7,360
Salary for comfort	$84,000/yr	$78,000/yr
Typical rent	$2,089	$1,411
Median home value	$586,700	$76,800
Median household income	$91,681	$39,575
Unemployment	3.8%	10.7%
Housing score	32	62
Jobs score	41	37
Safety score	35	18
Climate score	93	87
Amenities score	64	82
Population	713.7K	636.6K
Summer high / winter low	92° / 20°	83° / 20°

Denver, CO vs Detroit, MI