Cost of Living: Colorado Springs vs Denver in 2026

Cost of living: Colorado Springs vs Denver in 2026 — the short answer is that Colorado Springs runs roughly 10–20% less expensive than Denver overall, with the biggest gap in housing. Recent Zillow Home Value Index data shows a median-home spread of roughly $120K–$140K between the two cities, and the gap widens further when you factor in property taxes, sales taxes, and utility costs. Denver wins on job density and downtown amenities; Colorado Springs wins on dollars saved.

At iHaul iMove, we move families between Denver and Colorado Springs in both directions every week of the year — and the cost-of-living conversation drives a huge percentage of those decisions. Here is the honest, source-cited breakdown for 2026, plus the trade-offs most relocation calculators leave out.

Note on numbers: Real estate and cost-of-living data shift quarterly. Where possible, this guide cites the source so you can pull the freshest figure when you make your decision.

The Headline Numbers

A 2026 comparison of the two cities, based on publicly available data from Zillow, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau, and the Colorado Department of Revenue:

The pattern: Colorado Springs is meaningfully cheaper on the fixed costs (housing, taxes, utilities) and comparable on variable costs (gas, groceries, healthcare). Denver offsets the higher cost with higher median incomes — but only if you can capture that income in your specific industry.

Housing: The Biggest Single Variable

For most families, housing makes or breaks the comparison. This is where the two cities diverge the most.

Median home prices

According to recent Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) data — which Zillow updates monthly and publishes at zillow.com/research — Colorado Springs and Denver are typically separated by roughly $120K–$140K on the median home.

That gap shows up in the monthly mortgage payment. On a 30-year fixed at current rates, the Denver buyer pays meaningfully more per month for an equivalent-sized home — money that compounds over the life of the mortgage.

Always pull the latest: Both cities’ medians shift quarterly. Check the Zillow research page or Redfin Data Center the week you make your offer.

Rent

Rent follows the same pattern. Apartments.com, Zumper, and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey all consistently show Colorado Springs median rents running below Denver across all bedroom counts. The gap is typically widest on 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom units.

Property taxes

Colorado uses a relatively low effective property tax rate compared to most of the U.S. — the Tax Foundation has long ranked Colorado among the lowest property-tax states by effective rate. Within Colorado:

• El Paso County (Colorado Springs) and Douglas County (Castle Rock, Monument) tend to have lower mill levies than Denver County
• Denver County combines city and county functions, and mill levies vary by specific district

Compare actual mill levies at the county assessor’s office for the specific property you are evaluating — generic averages can mislead you.

Taxes: State, Local, and Sales

Colorado state income tax

Both cities are in Colorado, so both pay the same flat state income tax rate. As of 2026 the Colorado individual income tax rate has been a flat rate in the low 4% range, but Colorado has lowered the rate via ballot initiatives multiple times in recent years. Check the current Colorado Department of Revenue rate before relying on a specific number.

Sales tax (the local difference)

Colorado state sales tax is 2.9%. Then cities, counties, and special districts add their own piece.

That ~0.5–0.7% difference does not sound like a lot until you start adding up car purchases, appliances, furniture for the new place, and a year of grocery and household spending. On a $30,000 car, the Denver buyer pays roughly $150–$200 more in sales tax.

Special district taxes

Denver has a few special-district overlays (RTD, cultural district, stadium district). Colorado Springs has fewer and lower-rate special districts. Always check the specific address — some Denver neighborhoods are inside higher-tax districts than others.

Utilities: An Underrated Difference

Colorado Springs Utilities is a city-owned, four-service utility (electric, gas, water, wastewater). Denver residents use Xcel Energy for gas and electric, Denver Water for water, and Denver Wastewater for sewer.

What that means in your monthly bill

• Water: Colorado Springs Utilities water rates have historically run below Denver Water rates per gallon. The gap matters for households that water lawns or have large families.
• Electricity: Colorado Springs is comparable to Xcel and sometimes slightly lower, depending on usage tier.
• Natural gas: Generally comparable.
• Trash: Colorado Springs uses private haulers (your choice of provider); Denver provides city trash service.

The cumulative effect: Colorado Springs total utility burden often runs slightly lower than Denver on similar-sized homes.

Transportation: Time, Gas, and Tolls

Commute reality

Denver has more job density downtown — but also more traffic. A typical Denver commute is longer in minutes and often longer in stress than a comparable Colorado Springs commute. The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey publishes mean commute times for both metros at data.census.gov — Denver consistently runs higher.

Public transit

Denver has a real transit system: RTD light rail, commuter rail (the A Line to DIA, B/G/N lines), and a meaningful bus network. Colorado Springs has Mountain Metropolitan Transit — primarily buses, with no light rail. If car-free living matters to you, Denver wins this comparison decisively.

Gas prices

Both cities pull from similar refining markets and run within a few cents of each other most weeks per AAA’s gas price tracker.

Toll roads

Denver metro has E-470 and the Northwest Parkway tolls. Colorado Springs has no toll roads. Frequent toll commuters in Denver add meaningfully to their monthly transportation budget.

Groceries, Restaurants, and Daily Spending

Per BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey data and Numbeo crowd-sourced indexes, groceries run roughly comparable between the two cities — slightly lower in Colorado Springs. Restaurant prices in Denver, especially in trendy neighborhoods (RiNo, LoHi, Cherry Creek), run noticeably higher than Colorado Springs equivalents.

Daily-life pattern:

• Groceries: Springs slight edge
• Casual restaurants: Springs noticeable edge
• High-end restaurants: Denver has more selection, similar pricing tier
• Entertainment (concerts, sports): Denver has more pro sports (Broncos, Nuggets, Avalanche, Rockies) — both opportunity and additional spending temptation
• Outdoor recreation: Both excellent; Colorado Springs arguably better for hiking/trail access (Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, foothills)

Healthcare

Per Kaiser Family Foundation and Census Bureau data, Colorado Springs and Denver run similar healthcare costs on a per-capita basis, with both ranking moderately on national cost-of-care indexes. Major hospital systems serve both metros (UCHealth, Centura, Penrose-St. Francis in the Springs; HealthONE, SCL, Denver Health in Denver).

The difference shows up in specialty care access — Denver has more sub-specialists and academic medicine via the University of Colorado Anschutz campus. For routine care, both metros are well-served.

Schools and Childcare

Public school quality varies by district more than by city.

Colorado Springs school districts to know

• Academy District 20 (Briargate, Northgate, Flying Horse) — consistently top-ranked
• District 38 Lewis-Palmer (Monument, Tri-Lakes) — strong academics
• District 49 Falcon — newer schools, fast-growing area
• District 11 Colorado Springs — large, urban district with mixed performance
• Manitou D-14 — small, well-regarded

Denver-area districts to know

• Cherry Creek Schools — premier suburban district
• Douglas County School District (Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock) — strong
• Jeffco — large, mixed
• DPS (Denver Public Schools) — large urban district, mixed

Childcare costs are roughly comparable between the two metros, with Denver running slightly higher on average.

Job Market

This is where Denver pulls ahead.

Denver advantages

• More finance, tech, energy, and biotech employers headquartered locally
• More remote-friendly Fortune 500 presence
• Higher median household income per Census Bureau data
• Denser job networks for white-collar professionals

Colorado Springs advantages

• Massive military and defense contracting base (Fort Carson, Peterson SFB, Schriever SFB, the Air Force Academy)
• Aerospace and cybersecurity cluster
• Healthcare employment (Penrose-St. Francis, UCHealth, Centura)
• Cost of living advantage means a lower salary in Springs often nets the same lifestyle

For remote workers and military families, the cost-of-living math tilts hard toward Colorado Springs. For Denver-headquartered corporate roles requiring in-office presence, the math gets more complicated.

When Colorado Springs Wins

You should strongly consider Colorado Springs over Denver if:

1. You can work remotely or your industry has Springs presence (military, defense, aerospace, healthcare)
2. You prioritize outdoor access — Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, foothills hiking at your doorstep
3. You have a family and value lower housing costs for more space
4. You are PCS-ing to Fort Carson, Peterson SFB, Schriever SFB, or the Air Force Academy
5. You are retiring and want lower fixed costs
6. You value smaller-city pace with big-city amenities still 60 miles away

When Denver Wins

Denver is the better choice if:

1. Your job requires in-office presence downtown or in Denver Tech Center
2. Public transit access matters to your lifestyle
3. You want big-league pro sports and a denser nightlife scene
4. Your industry is concentrated in Denver (finance, tech, energy)
5. You want the larger international airport (DIA vs COS, though COS has solid hub connectivity)

The Move Between the Two

We move families between Colorado Springs and Denver routinely — it is one of our most common routes. The drive is about 70 miles down I-25, and a move can typically be completed in a single day for a standard household. Communities along the corridor like Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, and Lone Tree split the difference for families who want to be closer to both metros.

If you are considering the move and want a real number for a real household, get a free residential moving estimate — it costs nothing and tells you a piece of the relocation math that an online calculator cannot.

A Quick Reality Check on Online Calculators

Tools like Numbeo, BestPlaces, NerdWallet, and SmartAsset are useful starting points but have weaknesses: Numbeo is crowd-sourced and small-sample-skewed, BestPlaces lags current housing markets, and national averages mask huge neighborhood variation (Broadmoor vs Powers Corridor; Cherry Creek vs Aurora). Use multiple sources, weight them with current Zillow/Redfin for housing, and talk to people who actually live in your target neighborhood.

Ready to Make the Move?

iHaul iMove has moved families up and down I-25 since 2008 — Colorado Springs to Denver, Denver to Colorado Springs, and every community in between. BBB A+, 833+ five-star Google reviews, 2026 Best of the Springs Gold Movers winner. Family-owned. Licensed under Colorado PUC HHG-00281. Transparent written estimates with no surprise fees.

Want to talk through your specific situation? Call 719-357-5865. Our coordinators have moved enough families both directions to give you an honest read on the trade-offs — without a sales pitch.

The Bottom Line on Colorado Springs vs Denver Cost of Living

• Colorado Springs is roughly 10–20% cheaper overall in 2026
• Housing is the biggest gap — ~$120K–$140K spread on the median home per Zillow
• Sales tax and utilities favor the Springs by small but real margins
• Denver offsets cost with higher median incomes — IF your industry is there
• Property tax mill levies vary — check the specific county and district
• Both cities pay the same Colorado state income tax
• Commute time and quality of life favor the Springs unless you need downtown Denver daily

Run your own math with your specific job, your specific house target, and current Zillow medians. The decision is rarely just about money — but the money is real, and it adds up to tens of thousands of dollars a year for many families.