✦ Compare
Denver vs
Detroit
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Denver, CO vs Detroit, MI at a glance — Detroit, MI is 7% cheaper than Denver, CO overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,150/mo versus $1,750/mo. The top national income-tax rate is 37%.
To keep the same standard of living in Detroit, MI, you'd need
$69,552 / year
Detroit, MI is 7% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Detroit, MI vs Denver, CO)
- Housing-27%
- Food & groceries+1%
- Transport+7%
- Utilities+18%
- Healthcare+4%
- Goods & services-1%
◎ How Denver, CO and Detroit, MI compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Denver, CO | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 106 | 98 |
| Housing | 123 | 90 |
| Food | 97 | 98 |
| Transport | 99 | 106 |
| Utilities | 88 | 104 |
| Healthcare | 98 | 102 |
| Goods & services | 101 | 100 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,750/mo | $1,150/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,400/mo | $900/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $3,300/mo | $2,000/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $5,500 | $2,200 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $947 | $1,021 |
| Inexpensive meal | $18 | $16 |
| Monthly transit pass | $88 | $70 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 37% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 0% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | 7.7% |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 21% |
| Capital gains | 20% | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo✓ | $1,257/mo✓ |
| GDP per capita | $90,027✓ | $90,027✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Native | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 50 | 25 |
| Time zone | UTC-7 | UTC-5 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 63 | 55 |
| Safety index | 58 | 40 |
| Healthcare index | 78 | 76 |
| Pollution index | 45 | 50 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 180 Mbps |
| Walkability | 61 | 55 |
| Public transport | 55 | 42 |
| Family-friendly | 66 | 58 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $450/mo | $450/mo |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr✓ | 79 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | -1 °C | -4 °C |
| July avg | +23 °C | +23 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 245 | 180 |
| Rainfall / year | 390 mm | 850 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1.5 h | 1.5 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (US DOL (federal), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Denver vs Detroit — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Denver
Outdoor-lover's base camp with 300 days of sun and quick mountain access — rents keep rising.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-7
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 58/100
- Climate
- ❄ -1°C · ☀ 23°C · 245 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- RiNo · LoHi · Capitol Hill
Good to know before you move to Detroit
America's cheapest big city — a gritty comeback story with the country's most affordable housing.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-5
- Internet
- 180 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 40/100
- Climate
- ❄ -4°C · ☀ 23°C · 180 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Midtown · Corktown · Downtown
Plan your move to Denver
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Parking & carWay.com
Sponsored
Plan your move to Detroit
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Parking & carWay.com
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Denver to Detroit: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Denver to Detroit, your cost of living will be roughly 7% cheaper. Detroit’s cost-of-living index is 98 versus 106 for Denver (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Denver cheaper than Detroit?
Detroit is about 7% cheaper than Denver overall — its cost-of-living index is 98 versus 106 for Denver.
Which is more expensive, Denver or Detroit?
Denver is more expensive than Detroit. Its cost-of-living index is 106 vs 98 (US = 100) — about 8% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Denver or Detroit?
Rent is cheaper in Detroit — about $1,150/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,750 in Denver.
How much do you need to earn in Detroit to live like in Denver?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Denver is worth about $69,552 in Detroit. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Denver or Detroit?
Both cities are in the same country, so national income tax (37%) and VAT are identical; only local cost of living differs.
◷ More comparisons from Denver
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.