Question 1

Is Denver or Salt Lake City cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Salt Lake City, UT is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $771/month less than in Denver, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $2,089/mo in Denver versus $1,747/mo in Salt Lake City.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Denver vs Salt Lake City?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $84,000/year before tax in Denver, CO and $68,000/year in Salt Lake City, UT — a difference of about $16,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Denver or Salt Lake City cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Salt Lake City, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $8,304/month in Denver and $7,025/month in Salt Lake City, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to Denver or Salt Lake City?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Salt Lake City 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	Salt Lake City58
Est. monthly cost (single)	$4,471	$3,700
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$8,304	$7,025
Salary for comfort	$84,000/yr	$68,000/yr
Typical rent	$2,089	$1,747
Median home value	$586,700	$495,700
Median household income	$91,681	$74,925
Unemployment	3.8%	3.4%
Housing score	32	30
Jobs score	41	72
Safety score	35	10
Climate score	93	90
Amenities score	64	50
Population	713.7K	203.9K
Summer high / winter low	92° / 20°	90° / 27°

Denver, CO vs Salt Lake City, UT