Median rent is 15% lower in Denver ($1,831/mo vs $2,147/mo). Buying is cheaper in Denver, where the median home runs $616,000 versus $731,700. Households earn more in Boston ($97,344 vs $94,718 a year).
City A
Boston, MA
City B
Denver, CO
How much would you need to earn in Denver, CO to maintain your standard of living from Boston, MA?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Boston
Massachusetts
Denver
Colorado
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Denver at $1,831/mo compared to $2,147/mo in Boston (15% gap). Median home values are within 16% of each other: $731,700 in Boston and $616,000 in Denver.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Boston
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Denver
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Denver has cleaner air on average: 27.0 AQI (Good) compared to 31.0 AQI (Good) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Denver if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,831/mo median).
Is Boston cheaper than Denver?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Boston vs Denver?
Median rent is $2,147/mo in Boston, MA and $1,831/mo in Denver, CO. Denver, CO has the lower rent by about 15%.
Which has higher salaries — Boston or Denver?
Median household income is $97,344 in Boston, MA and $94,718 in Denver, CO. Boston, MA has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Denver, CO has better air quality on average: 27.0 AQI versus 31.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Boston or Denver?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Denver to match my Boston income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
