Cost of living compare
Chicago vs Denver cost of living
Chicago vs Denver cost of living, compared metric by metric: BEA regional price parity, HUD rent, USDA food, energy, and state and local taxes. Each row keeps its own source grain and vintage — there is no single blended “cost of living score,” because these measures are published at different geographic grains.
32% moremodeled gross income for the same illustrative four-person spending scenario in Denver than in Chicago
Illustrative scenario: $148,535/yr in Denver vs $112,312/yr in Chicago; unverified local tax excluded where applicable
CEX 2024 · FMR FY2026 · USDA 2026 · RPP 2024 · TY2026 · NDCP 2022 (CPI-inflated to 2026-M08)
Scenarios with unverified local income tax exclude that unknown cost. These amounts are not tax-inclusive needs estimates.
Four-person spending scenarios in Chicago and Denver
The illustrative four-person scenarios correspond to modeled gross incomes of $112,312 a year in Chicago and $148,535 a year in Denver. See the assumptions and exclusions. The bars show the included components, not a minimum adequate income.
| Component | Chicago | Denver | Chicago − Denver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $1,930 | $3,170 | −$1,240 |
| Childcare | $1,470 | $2,661 | −$1,191 |
| Net taxes after credits | $1,572 | $2,258 | −$686 |
| Food | $1,068 | $1,090 | −$22 |
| Transportation | $1,745 | $1,643 | +$102 |
| Everything else | $1,574 | $1,555 | +$19 |
| Total per month | $9,359 | $12,378 | −$3,019 |
Household Budget Benchmark, family of four (2 adults, 2 children), 3-bedroom. Housing uses HUD Fair Market Rent (ZIP SAFMR where available); other rows are federal series adjusted by state-grain BEA price parities. CEX 2024 · FMR FY2026 · USDA 2026 · RPP 2024 · TY2026 · NDCP 2022 (CPI-inflated to 2026-M08).
Which city has higher prices, Chicago or Denver?
BEA Regional Price Parities put overall prices at 103.6 in Chicago and 105.8 in Denver, where the U.S. average is 100. RPP is a regional index shown at each city’s BEA grain, not a city-precise price tag.
| RPP component | Chicago | Denver | Chicago − Denver |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 103.6 | 105.8 | −2.2 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 101.0 | +6.3 |
| Rents | 112.0 | 146.9 | −34.9 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 87.9 | −4.3 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 99.4 | +1.1 |
Chicago: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area · reference year 2024. Denver: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area · reference year 2024.
How much is rent in Chicago vs Denver?
HUD sets the 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent at $1,781 in Chicago and $2,089 in Denver for HUD fiscal year 2026.
| Bedrooms | Chicago | Denver | Chicago − Denver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-BR FMR | $1,581 | $1,754 | −$173 |
| 2-BR FMR | $1,781 | $2,089 | −$308 |
| 3-BR FMR | $2,294 | $2,734 | −$440 |
Chicago: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Denver: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA. HUD FY2026 40th-percentile gross rents.
Are taxes higher in Chicago or Denver?
Combined state and local sales tax is about 8.96% in Illinois and 7.89% in Colorado. These are state and local figures.
| Measure | Chicago (IL) | Denver (CO) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined sales tax rate | 8.96% | 7.89% | +1.1 pts |
| Top state income tax rate | 4.95% | 4.4% | +0.6 pts |
| State and local tax collections per resident | $9,016 | $7,123 | +$1,893 |
Sales & income tax rates: state statutes / DOR schedules, TY2026. Collections per resident: Census Annual Survey of State & Local Government Finances, FY2024. State totals include local governments. Differences are descriptive. Combined tax-category sampling covariance is unavailable, so no statistical-significance claim is made.
Are utilities and gas cheaper in Chicago or Denver?
Residential electricity runs about 17.8¢/kWh in Illinois and 16.8¢/kWh in Colorado. Energy prices are state or PADD-region grain, not city-specific.
| Measure | Chicago (IL) | Denver (CO) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential electricity | 17.8¢/kWh | 16.8¢/kWh | +1 |
| Residential natural gas | 11.4 $/Mcf | 10.99 $/Mcf | +0.41 |
| Retail gasoline | 4.49 $/gal | 4.51 $/gal | −0.02 |
Electricity & natural gas: EIA state-grain residential prices. Gasoline: EIA PADD 2 (Midwest) vs PADD 4 (Rocky Mountain) (PADD-region grain).
What does groceries cost in Chicago vs Denver?
A USDA Low-Cost food plan for a family of four is about $1,122 a month nationally; the plan value is a national figure, while local price differences show up through the RPP-adjusted budget above.
| USDA plan (family of 4, monthly) | Chicago | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Thrifty plan | $1,018 | $1,018 |
| Low-cost plan | $1,122 | $1,122 |
| Moderate plan | $1,387 | $1,387 |
USDA Cost of Food Plans, May 2026. National grain — identical for every city; the family budget applies each state’s RPP for local context.
Go deeper on Chicago and Denver
Sources
Every figure above traces to an official federal or state source, shown with its vintage and geographic grain. Cost-of-living measures are not combined into one composite score. See the cost-of-living methodology.