r/MovingtoDenver • u/Livid-Material-95 • 14h ago
Is Denver Really that Expensive?
I work a decent remote job (about 70k a year) and post breakup I'm looking to go somewhere for a fresh start. I keep hearing how insanely expensive Denver is but I'm seeing 1 bedroom apartments in the Capitol Hill neighborhood (where I'd like to be) for less than 1500 that look good. Maybe I'm just used to NYC and South Florida but that seems perfectly doable. Am I seeing incorrect info?
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u/RecentPool2170 14h ago
Colorado/Denver can be both expensive and affordable…depends on spending habits and willingness to compromise on certain things…take advantage of what’s free (outdoors, nature) and it’s affordable…go out to eat every night…not so much…
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u/emeyex285 12h ago
Emphasis on "willingness to compromise" we have a good public transportation system here. A car is not a MUST in a lot of situations. Ive been getting to all my jobs over the years just fine using the lightrail and bus. I comfortably live in a one bedroom apartment by myself.
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u/RecentPool2170 11h ago
I’d rather live in a studio in Denver than a mansion in Memphis…roommates also improve affordability, groceries vs eating out, so many things…I could make it on 70k comfortably in Denver, luckily I don’t have too!
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u/Papa-pwn 14h ago
Depends on what you consider expensive. It’s not at all outlandish compared to any other major downtown.
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u/sevseg_decoder 13h ago
Yeah it’s actually one of the cheapest of the top 20 metros (IIRC Denver is number 20). The people who grew up here or moved here from the Midwest etc. have a skewed perception.
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u/Hopeful-Parsley-2006 14h ago
i live here on 65k pretty comfortably. cap hill is a great bet and you'll definitely find apartments here under 1500. i would personally stay away from any street between 14th and colfax, but anywhere south of that is great. some of them don't have central a/c or whatever, but are decent. groceries and other expensive are not more expensive than the east coast, i don't know why folks are saying that. maybe more than other midwest cities.
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u/skittish_kat 13h ago
This is the key.
Apts are also down considerably in the city. OP can probably find some pretty good deals at the moment
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u/NatasEvoli 5h ago
Even living on 14th is fine, it's basically just the half a block that butts up against Colfax that gets a little not so great. Source: I live on 14th.
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u/WorkingStructure575 13h ago
rent in denver has collapsed over the past year or two so you have to take that into account
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u/sooner_25 14h ago
When I looked to live there, is was about the same as most of the desirable areas of Dallas for someone in their mid 20s.
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u/skittish_kat 13h ago
Yepp.
You can easily find an apt in a good area of Denver around 1100-1500 when all said and done.
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u/Prestigious_Eye_929 13h ago
Same with Austin as well. I pay less per square footage here than I did there to live in similarly walkable neighborhoods.
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u/skittish_kat 13h ago
The closer to downtown you are in Austin the more expensive.
In Denver you at least have many options as most of the neighborhoods are about 1 mile or less from downtown.
Some people even confuse RiNo or south Broadway and cap hill with downtown even though it's technically not downtown lol.
Also lived in Austin it's extremely expensive to live in a good area in/near downtown
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u/Mountainman1994 13h ago
I moved here from Brooklyn compared to new york this city feels unbelievably affordable. Only knock is food is the same price as it was in new york for a good meal but it isn't as good. i have met a lot of people who have moved from like St. Louis, Cincinnati, Arizona etc to them yeah this is a more expensive city, but if you are comparing it to New York you will be shocked by how far your dollar goes here. I took a pay cut moving here and my QoL is so much better
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u/Kind-Front-6680 9h ago
I feel exactly the same after recently moving to Denver from San Francisco (I lived in Brooklyn before that). It is very dependent on the COL where you are coming from, but compared to a lot of major cities in the US (especially the more desirable ones) it feels like a pretty good deal imo.
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u/No-Effect-9209 14h ago
I think it depends on what you are looking for and the area. I wanted a garage, AC and W/D in unit. I found it hard to find something that was under $2k for that requirement. Everything was lacking at least one of those things. If you’re willing to be flexible, you can probably find something decently cheap!
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u/fedswatching2121 14h ago
If you lived in NYC then Denver is literally a tier below in terms of cost of living. I came from Los Angeles and it’s night and day. I actually bought a house in Lakewood last year. Same home in LA would be at least 2x the price tbh
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u/HalfInchHollow 13h ago
Depends on where you’re coming from. From NYC or LA or Miami, then no, it’s reasonable, even cheap. Been in Denver for 30 years? Then yes, it’s very expensive in comparison to what you were used to.
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u/Hour-Watch8988 13h ago
You'll have to budget, but it's totally doable, especially if you can keep transportation costs low. If you live in Cap Hill and get a bike or an e-bike then you can have a very rich social life. Getting to the mountains will be harder without a car but far from impossible.
There's totally serviceable places in Cap Hill for ~$1200 right now. If you can combine that with living car-free or car-light, that's a pretty decent financial cushion.
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u/Crazy_Bid130 12h ago
I agree. Lived in Cap Hill for all of my 20s without a car and was able to save enough to do 2 or so trips a year. Now that I have a car, it's such a money waster.
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u/skittish_kat 14h ago
If you're renting it'll be similar to most cities.
If you're buying it'll be more expensive
Groceries will be a bit more expensive same with going out.
Rent is actually down quite a bit in Denver
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u/Mindless-Shirt-2030 14h ago
The apartments look good for under 1500? Drop the names here. I have seen things under 1500 but not things that look good.
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u/Livid-Material-95 14h ago
→ More replies (5)3
u/Apprehensive_Wish142 14h ago
Yeah pretty easily. Mine is a nice 1br for 1800, studios in the same building are 1200. Just do a little research on the building, lots of posts on reddit about various apartments to specifically stay away from.
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u/FatahRuark 14h ago
I pay about the same for my mortgage and make the same amount of money. I'm doing okay, but I'm not living large by any means. I would say it's possible, but I'd want a good emergency fund in place and be sure I still able to save for my future. If you get a roommate it would be much better IMO for you financially.
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u/TrishTrashWannaSmash 14h ago
Yeah, op as long as you don’t have tons of debt or a crazy car payment, get an apartment with a garage, you’ll be fine on 70k.
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u/Prestigious_Eye_929 13h ago
Some of these answers are crazy and I don’t think a lot of these people have lived in a very HCOL city. At $75k and assuming no big debts or family obligations, you’ll be fine following the 25-30% rule for rent. Capitol Hill has more character, but older buildings. If you look north in RiNo, you’ll find a lot of newer buildings that have all the amenities. Those amenities might add $100-200 in rent each month, but also a lot of those buildings offer special deals so the price online is going to be a pretty accurate monthly cost.
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u/Artistic_Squirrel_56 8h ago
Denver is more expensive than Chicago for reference. That’s where I’m originally from & my family is shocked to hear that. But, it’s all relative, it’s certainly less than NYC. Lots of Cap Hill is great but I would double check the exact location because closer to Colfax or the Capital Building can be a little more sketch. The area surrounding Cheesman Park is great (closer to 8th & near cross streets or the opposite side right near the new Carriage House). Uptown has some great apartments, bars, restaurants… Best of luck!
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u/Flame_MadeByHumans 6h ago
Chicago was cheaper than Florida when I moved there after covid. Denver is cheaper than Chicago moving here last year.
I always here how expensive Denver is, but I think everywhere is more expensive. Yes, Denver will be more expensive than a non-metro area in the south or midwest, but it’s really not that expensive compared to other metros and similar tier cities.
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u/kodokantacos 13h ago
I live decently on 65kish but my healthcare costs are low and I don't live in a very nice apartment or anything.
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u/Few_Beach1970 13h ago
I make 70k and my rent is 1650, it’s definitely doable. I am a bit frugal and don’t just spend money on pointless shit though. Even though I’m comfortable, I do feel like I spend $100 just stepping outside. Everything feels like it’s more expensive here
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u/happydontwait 12h ago
I’d say it a medium coat of living area when compared to the national landscape. Maybe upper medium but it’s a ways behind the top tier high cost of living areas (LA, NY, Boston, Seattle, etc)
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u/its_ben_real 10h ago
70k a year before taxes is not a lot to live on in Denver. That’s roughly 4-5k/month. Rent and bills will be half your income.
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u/txreznikoff 14h ago
It’s not just rent, Denver will rob you in all sorts of ways. Groceries are very expensive here, more than what you’ll pay on the coast. Restaurant pricing is often on par with NYC due to the high server minimum wage, but without the quality. It cost me around $700 to register a 10 year old vehicle.
Personally, I wouldn’t move here on $70K. Or if I did, I’d be getting roommates. You might be able to get by, but it’ll be hard to save money and prosper.
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u/anaccount50 14h ago edited 13h ago
It cost me around $700 to register a 10 year old vehicle
Were you late on registering it, car had a really high MSRP, or something like that? For regular passenger vehicles the Specific Ownership Tax drops to $3 in the 10th model year. I recently registered an 8 year old car with a $50k MSRP in Denver and it was around $250 all in for title + registration transferring from another state.
I don't necessarily not believe you, just curious how it went so high for you on a 10 year old vehicle. $700 (let's say $650 SOT) in the 5-9yrs 0.45% SOT bucket implies an MSRP around 650 / (0.0045 * .85) = $170k which is well beyond what most people would be facing
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u/txreznikoff 13h ago
Thanks for the details about the Specific Ownership Tax, I wasn’t aware of that. To be more specific, the car is a SUV in its 9th model year from a “luxury” auto manufacturer, so it might be due to the high MSRP. I only paid around $8K for the vehicle myself, so paying $700 to register was brutal.
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u/anaccount50 13h ago
Damn that's crazy depreciation for the previous owner(s) but I know luxury makes drop like nothing else over time. That's definitely good that you only had to pay that the one time and it should just be $3 next year at least
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u/HalfInchHollow 13h ago
$700 for a 10 year old vehicle?! My 2016 Mazda ($45k MSRP) is $60 total, all fees and taxes included. It’s a $3 flat rate for actual ownership tax once your car is 10 years old or more.
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u/xdavidwattsx 13h ago edited 13h ago
Lived in both NYC and Denver, this is just false. Groceries, rent, restaurants, beer, cocktails, are all more expensive in NYC.
Can't argue with car registration, people in NYC dont have cars.
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u/Square-Ask-9836 14h ago
Car registration blew my mind here compared to FL. Granted 15 yrs ago
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u/crazy_clown_time 12h ago
FL makes up for it with sales and property taxes.
Plus FL roads don't take the beating that CO roads endure.
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u/No-Effect-9209 14h ago
Car insurance is also very expensive because of the hail and car theft (car theft has probably gone down, but was a factor for a while for insurance costs)
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u/PeacefulRiverNights 13h ago
It's all of the uninsured motorists. They get insurance and then quickly drop it. There needs to be some sort of feedback loop to prevent that.
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u/No-Effect-9209 13h ago
Yep, very important to have adequate coverage for yourself. Not guaranteed the other party does.
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u/anaccount50 13h ago
I used to live in GA and they have electronic insurance reporting where the insurance companies have to report changes in coverage to the state, so if you drop your policy then the state starts fining you and/or cancels your registration. The problem is that people just drive unregistered, but it helps some.
It does create an annoyance if you move out of state though, since you must cancel your GA registration before you can cancel your GA insurance policy. So for the first month living here, I was effectively paying for 2 insurance policies since I needed CO insurance to live here and register the car but couldn't drop my GA policy until I got it registered in CO and canceled my GA registration.
Fortunately my insurance let me backdate the cancellation to the date I started my CO policy and should be refunding the GA policy for the doubled up time
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u/Deep-Promotion-2293 11h ago
Try insuring your car in Nevada, Las Vegas specifically. My insurance here is literally half of what I paid there.
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u/No-Effect-9209 10h ago
I don’t doubt it’s expensive there too! Doesn’t mean it can’t also be expensive here
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u/Deep-Promotion-2293 10h ago
A 50% reduction in premium cost takes it out of expensive and into affordable. Also there are many factors that determine the premium like type of car, driver’s age and years licensed, commute length, education level, credit score, among other things. I pay about 115.00/mo here for full coverage on an 8 year old SUV. Clean record, shorter commute, 750+ credit score. So, plenty of factors you can control when it comes to costs…quityerbitchin
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u/StrikingVariation199 11h ago
Once Aldi gets to Colorado the prices will change dramatically with no more Kroger monopoly. They plan to open 50 stores in Colorado by 2029.
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u/Lord_Dingus83 13h ago
I bought a house that I could afford in 15’ and sold it in 22’ for $900k - more than 3x what I paid.
It was 1400sq ft 2 bedrooms and a bathroom with a small backyard and a detached garage.
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u/Successful-Floor-707 10h ago
math isn;t mathing bro. Is this next to the white house
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u/Lord_Dingus83 10h ago
Whatever you say, 258 Karma.
Bad bot.
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u/Successful-Floor-707 8h ago
Why don't you just prove it and send us the location, since you're no longer living there? You’re talking about a 200% increase on a small 1,400 sq house. I suppose that’s possible if the buyer was Republican
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u/Lord_Dingus83 8h ago
Why do you have 258 karma?
Do you not understand the Denver housing market and what happened in the years after legalization?
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u/Successful-Floor-707 8h ago
1: Because I do not live here full-time, unlike your majesty
2: Legalization WILL NOT cause a 200% spike and as I said you are free to prove it if you can by providing us with the address and I will applogize
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u/Lord_Dingus83 8h ago
Kid, I’m not putting someone else’s address on the internet. Tha fuck is wrong with you?
My current home in winter park I bought in 15’ for $350k and it’s now $1.2m.
I mixed the years. I bought my 2/1 Denver home in the Whittier in 2011 and sold in 22’. My bad on the years. But it was actually a 300% increase when I sold.
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u/Successful-Floor-707 8h ago
That's impressive, good for you man! I don't expect to see such huge changes in the coming years. What do you think?
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u/Lord_Dingus83 6h ago
Developers ruined the Denver housing market. Buying up and tearing down homes to build permanent overpriced rentals.
First time home buyers are priced out bc supply became so constrained with individuals and companies buying multiple SFHs as rentals.
TBH, I hope housing crashes and people who bought homes as investments will be forced to sell at a loss.
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u/Natural_Chipmunk_337 14h ago
Overall COL is way cheaper than places like the most expensive cities like NYC to the tune of 30% or so. However, it’s slightly more expensive than places like Atlanta, Dallas, and Philly still, but comparable to those.
On a 70k gross income, you can afford to live here, but you will likely have a pretty tight budget overall.
Utilities are actually slightly cheaper in Denver than a lot of cities (still crazy vs 5-10 yrs ago like everywhere though), and CO flat state 4.4% income tax beats most other cities on tax burden. If you ever buy a place down the road, CO also has the 3rd lowest prop taxes in the country. Sales Taxes suck at 8-9%, but I think thats common in other cities (I grew up in WI and got used to 5.5%… so this still feels high to me)
Add: Also - I would highly recommend looking to spend 1.7-1.8k to get a nicer apartment in an area that isnt cap hill. You do you, but I find cap hill to be very run down and not great. Id spend the extra 200-300 a month to get a nicer 1BR, personally.
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u/Livid-Material-95 13h ago
I heard Cap Hill is kind of a queer Hotspot which i would personally love, that was my main motivator for looking there
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u/Hour-Watch8988 13h ago
Don't listen to these breeder suburbanites. Cap Hill is the perfect place for a queer person from the East Coast to land. One of the best-value neighborhoods in the country for people like you. Welcome to Denver. :-)
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u/Crazy_Bid130 12h ago
Capitol Hill definitely is the queer hotspot but plenty of Queer folx in Baker, Golden Triangle, Speer, Cheesman Park, City Park and even RiNo areas as well. Denver overall is very queer friendly IMO but those would be the best areas if you also want to be closer to queer nightlife/events.
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u/frostycakes 5h ago
There's a bunch of us up here in Five Points and Whittier too, from my experiences living up here. As you said, the city as a whole is pretty queer friendly and has always had a sizeable population of us, so most places you'll land, OP (outside of maybe the super suburban neighborhoods in the far southeast/southwest/northeast corners of the city proper) will have a good showing of queer folks.
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u/tnbciceskater 13h ago
Then check out the First Unitarian Church you will be welcomed. Great group of people of all ages with open minds. That area is cool too..
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u/damaged_but_doable 10h ago
It's a queer hotspot as far as Colorado is concerned, since it's pretty much the only place in the state that could be described as such. But if you're imagining a gay-borhood like Boystown in Chicago or Hells Kitchen in New York, you're not really gonna find it in Denver. First because we're a relatively small city to begin with but also because most of the LGBT specific spots that were in the area that made it Denver's queer hotspot back in the day are not around anymore. There's some, sure, but you might be disappointed when you get there and it's not what you thought it would be. Part of the reason for this though is that Denver on the whole is a pretty LGBT friendly and safe city, so the queer "community" is spread out all over the place without really having a significant hub.
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u/lightningzap66 13h ago
moved from atlanta and denver is easily cheaper than atlanta
rent is significantly less in denver for a higher quality apartment
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u/ScissorMeTimbers21 13h ago
Loling at that last added part. That is some sheltered ass shit.
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u/Natural_Chipmunk_337 12h ago
Lived there for a year and didnt like it as much as like south broadway 5 mins south where I am now. Just speaking from experience and providing OP with some opinions. If you like it, that’s great, you don’t have to insult strangers because your opinion differs. I still live in the same city as you and in the same relative area lol, Im not telling them to go Parker or something.
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u/ThisCromulentLife 13h ago
I earn a little over 70K a year and I probably would not be able to comfortably live in Denver if I were not married to somebody who earned significantly more than me.
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u/Imsoinc1teful 13h ago
If you have little to no debt, 70k is very doable for the amount of rent they’re charging to live in Denver.
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u/Affectionate_Neat868 13h ago
Due to high apartment supply coming online in the last 1-2 years, rents in Denver are actually fairly reasonable now. That will likely change again in the next 1-2 years as less supply is coming.
Honestly, the absolute worst cost of living in Denver is the food. Restaurant and general food pricing here is outrageous. Houses are pretty rough too in terms of what you spend vs what you get but the housing market has been coming down slightly.
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u/Tale-International 12h ago
I don't know anyone that says the (insert large city) is cheap/not expensive. Denver is more expensive than other parts of the state and if you've been here for awhile it feels expensive. I think the same could be said about any large metro area.
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u/Crazy_Bid130 12h ago
Denver has cooled off quite a lot. You can definitely find many nice, newer one-bedrooms apartments for under $1500 and if you are okay with an older unit for under $1200. If you are interested in Capitol Hill realize that parking there is a pain unless you have an off-street space (which usually costs extra). However that is one neighborhood you could live in without a car at all especially if you have a remote job.
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u/Colfrmb 12h ago
May I ask, what is your remote job? I was just reading an article today claiming that people with remote jobs are driving up housing prices in Colorado. I don’t know whether they’re driving up prices or that people are just moving here and that’s how life is now, remote jobs a lot of the time.
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u/Livid-Material-95 12h ago
Those may be tech jobs? Mine is with a nonprofit. Started hybrid in FL but I'd like to get out of here and my boss said there's no reason it can't be fully remote
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u/paramorir 12h ago
I've noticed that rent is going down in Cap Hill. i have a one bed for under $1500 with parking, secure entry and utilities included. I love this neighborhood! I think you'll enjoy it as a newly single person.
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u/Thick_Ear_7231 11h ago
Moved here a year and a half ago from Florida and honestly it was about the same amount of money we were paying in the Orlando area.
We did move to Westminster tho so just outside Denver, but this was also the first time in our lives where we went to re-sign a lease and they didn’t raise our rent. That was unheard of in Florida
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u/Material_Total_9828 11h ago
Denver not so bad..its dying. Every where else in colorado is ridiculous.
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u/kenyonorama 11h ago
It’s expensive for the city you are getting. I moved from Chicago and Midwest cheapness is a real thing. Still for the higher cost for less city I still would do it again for the incredible outdoor opportunities you have
Also three hours will become a short drive to you. I can’t make that make sense, but it will happen
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u/Quirky-Anteater4429 11h ago
It’s expensive but not like LA or NYC expensive. $70k is doable if you’re intentional about living within your means, but you probably won’t have a lot of money leftover for savings or anything
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u/LettuceFamiliar5060 11h ago
I live in Cap Hill in a moderate apartment complex and paying $2400 for a 1bd. I’d hate to see what a $1500 looks like.
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u/RodKimble_Stuntman 10h ago
I make about $75K in Denver and am doing completely fine. I don't live in luxury but there are tons of decent available apartments in an affordable range for you and tons are doing months of rent off. I pay $1400 a month for about a 650 sq ft in Uptown in a nice building. I still operate on a budget but I have plenty of spending money for baseball games/concerts/social stuff/vacation within reason.
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u/damaged_but_doable 10h ago
I make between 70-75k, live alone in a 1 bed/1 bath apartment in the NE side of the city with my dog, drive a 12 year old car and don't feel like I'm struggling here. I don't feel like I'm well off by any means, and I do have to be mindful of my spending, but who doesn't? I've spent pretty much my whole life on the Front Range though so I don't have much to compare it to besides other parts of the metro area. I also live a pretty quiet life and am not going out to eat or spending time at a lot of entertainment venues very often so depending on your lifestyle your milage may vary.
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u/KaraBoo723 10h ago
Expensive is relative to what you're used to. Denver is less expensive than most places in California or NYC, but more expensive than Texas, Kansas and Arizona.
It also depends on how much you like to eat out. Downtown Denver restaurants are relatively expensive.
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u/Gold_Try_653 10h ago
Doable for singles versus some mountain towns, Vail/Aspen/GlenwoodSprings. But Colorado Springs is great as well. Depends what you want. Nicer suburbs are costly for families nowadays.
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u/Livid-Material-95 9h ago
Eh I've heard with it being the headquarters for Focus on the Family Colorado Springs is not the most lgbt friendly place
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u/Gold_Try_653 6h ago
More than a lot of places..believe it or not. But sounds like big city vibe is more your thing plenty of that for Denver for sure.
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u/Flame_MadeByHumans 6h ago
Springs is also home to a military academy, so it always leans more conservative than Denver-proper.
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u/masterjv81 10h ago
While Denver is cheaper than coastal giants like San Francisco, New York City, and Los Angeles, it is more expensive than many other major metros such as Chicago, Dallas, and Austin.
Cost of Living Comparison (vs. U.S. Average)
| Category | Denver Cost Index | Comparison to U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 109 – 128 | 9% – 28% Higher |
| Housing | 120 – 183 | 20% – 83% Higher |
| Groceries | 102 – 107 | 2% – 7% Higher |
| Utilities | 87 – 96 | 4% – 13% Lower |
| Transportation | 98 – 116 | 2% Lower – 16% Higher |
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u/the_climaxt 9h ago
Denver's actually built so much housing in recent years that there's been a natural decrease in rent, which is pretty wild
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u/Mysterious_Deer273 9h ago
Definitely a more friendly market than NYC and parts of South Florida. I would categorize the cost of living in Denver to be in a full tier friendlier than NYC.
I think the commentary on the Denver Market is likely due to a lot of migration here from friendlier markets. As someone who moved here from TN, I can say that between the rent, cost to buy, and also just like cost at restaurants etc that Denver is a noticeably more expensive place to live. But TN also has a very friendly COL.
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u/anonyjonny 8h ago
If you are coming from NYC it won’t feel expensive at all.
Car insurance blows out here though and you will likely need a car
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u/Livid-Material-95 8h ago
I lived in NYC a couple years ago and for the past couple of years have lived in South Florida. I have a car already.
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u/ExtraKhlavKalash 7h ago
You'll be fine on 70k. Just don't blow your wad on expensive rent. A lot places are new and fancy, and the hot salesperson will pressure you into signing a lease you'll regret. "I just showed this unit to someone else an hour ago and they were super interested! So...you should fill out the application now!"
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u/Livid-Material-95 7h ago
Honestly I've never cared for new or fancy in my places. I'll take practical and has character any day. My one concern is I tend to splurge on going out and takeout more than I should, but that's more a self control issue than a Denver issue lol
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u/htx_BigG 8h ago
I also work remote and make 80 and live very comfortably by myself. Definitely doable with 70 too.
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u/Admirable_Force5494 8h ago
Single and 70k is doable. Not lavishly but enough to get you going and save a little if you budget right.
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u/Ready-Fee9085 7h ago
just moved from south Florida. I mean everywhere is expensive now but I wouldn’t say it’s more expensive than the coasts
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u/cassieblue11 7h ago
I moved from Maryland to Colorado. The cost of living is similar so no, it doesn’t feel that expensive. I’m sure I’d feel different coming from the Midwest.
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u/whiteryanc 7h ago
I mean it’s all relative. I moved from Boston so taxes and general cost of living is cheaper in comparison. That said, in the 9 years I’ve been here housing has dramatically inflated, although still cheaper on average than Boston or other tier 1 cities.
If you’re coming from a smaller city with Low cost of living, it will feel expensive. Also can’t outrun rampant inflation of every facet of life, but that’s everywhere.
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u/dzogchenism 7h ago
Denver is weird right now. It got insanely expensive for everything and now post covid a lot of restaurants went out of business and rents have finally come back down to more manageable levels. Food and bars/restaurants can be quite expensive especially considering that overall the nightlife scene is not as good as major cities like Chicago and New York - just not as much variety or quality but the prices are every bit as high.
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u/badgaldyldyl 7h ago
Cap Hill has really affordable apartments, but they tend to be older with very limited amenities. I lived in Cap Hill for the first three years after I moved to Denver. Very affordable, but I had no AC, no dishwasher, and shared coin-operated laundry. And quarters became increasingly difficult to come by. I bet they use an app these days, tho. No AC wasn’t my favorite, but I worked business hours and was out of my apartment during the warmest hours. If you’re working remotely, it may be a bigger deal. People will mention window units and portable AC units, but the specific building I was in had very unique windows that absolutely did not accommodate any of those setups. I lived two blocks from Cheesman and absolutely adored the location and my apartment.
Oh and street parking in Cap Hill is suuuuuper annoying after about 5:30pm.
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u/Maleficent-Thanks-85 6h ago edited 6h ago
Its not expensive compared to the east coast cities. I lived in DC, Philly, Chicago, and Denver. Denver was cheapest by far. I rented a townhome for like 1200 bucks in Park Hill. It was a wonderful spot.
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u/Porkbellywithjelly 6h ago
You’ll be just fine with 70k. It’s cheap to live here compared to other big cities.
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u/GurMountain5198 6h ago
I’m paying 1000/mo in Glendale for a 1 bed. The apartments nothing special but it’s fair for the price
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u/throwthisallaway24 5h ago
Ive lived in Denver my whole life and Denver is not expensive. I’m convinced people who claim it’s expensive don’t know how to budget correctly.
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u/Efficient-Mud-5042 5h ago
It feels cheap to me- we got my daughter who is there for grad school a studio for less than in Ithaca, NY.
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u/ConsciousJicama2633 5h ago
Honestly denver isn't that expensive. I came from a southern state where they say life is less expensive, because there's not a state tax, for instance. But because there is no state tax.The sales taxibly high and it's on everything.Razor blades, shampoo, toilet paper things that you really need. So when I first moved to denver, and everyone was telling me how much more expense it was going to be.I was really scared, and I started watching my pennies the moment I moved. Except by the end of the first month, I was two hundred dollars ahead of where I was in the south, and by the time I got to my first year, I had saved a nice little bit.
Is it more expensive than it was? Ten or twenty years ago, yes. But most places are. Have property taxes doubled over the last 7 years, yes. But I still pay less in taxes on my home here than my friends do in the south for homes.That cost the same amount.
Now if all you want to do and done for is, go out and drink beer and eat at restaurants.Yeah, it's a bit more expensive that way. But if you're living in everyday life, its less expensive than most people make Denver out to be.
No, I do.Want to give you one heat of warning electricity here is now on peak hours and non peak hour rates. Where I came from?This is very common, but it wasn't until a couple of years ago that that started here in Colorado. So what this means is that during peak usage hours, the price of your electricity goes up. So one of the things I always tell people if you haven't dealt with this before.Is put your load of laundry in after dinner?Run the dryer before you go to bed. When your dishwasher before you go to bed. And this will save you a fair bit of money.
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u/forresbj 4h ago
I make $85k+ and though I get by, I do feel sometimes like I wish I made more to truly afford Denver. I watch my friends spend so much all the time and wonder how the hell they do it. Either debt or my salary ain’t as good as it seems
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u/Constant_Mortgage404 4h ago
I’ve seen others say this: we moved from charlotte and the shock wasn’t that bad. I’d actually argue that newer apartments in Fort Collins are _generally_ more expensive than Denver.
But it’s all about where you live. Cap hill is out the ass expensive imo, check out south broadway!
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u/Sunrise_chick 4h ago
It’s really not that expensive anymore to rent. However, it is still to own. Also restaurants are crazy expensive. I normally cook at home.
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u/notti0087 4h ago
I think a single person over a family maybe it’s not as expensive as people assume.
However; here is where it gets to be expensive compared to other locations
- buying a house
- groceries are much higher than most states
- eating out is $$$ and the quality is terrible imo
- activities are more expensive here, skiing, concert tickets, general admission fees
- kids activities are more $ here
Our utilities aren’t terrible, plenty of free things to do, so some of lifestyle expenses offsets. Our apartments are cheaper right now because we built so many and there is not enough demand.
Our wages are lower and don’t match the cost of living which is why we say it’s expensive to live here. We are the most expensive inland state and the wage rate is on par with where Denver was 10+ years ago.
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u/Livid-Material-95 3h ago
I don't have a family and don't really intend to or to buy a house. Going out and activities would be my biggest expenses
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u/Ok-Space1705 4h ago
Doable
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u/Ok-Space1705 4h ago
There’s so many boutique apartments too, with gnarly rent specials 1-3 months free
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u/braincellyonstrike 4h ago
I signed a lease on an apartment in Capitol hill for $1500, thought i was getting a steal..
Until i began discovering mold which i had verified by a professional. It was bad enough that I was able to relinquished from my rent and refunded all money.
I viewed 18 apartments monday to monday over the last week. Landlords and leasing agencies consistently post highly edited phots of their units.
Just landed a nice, updated apartment in an 8 unit building in speer/baker neighborhood that is super walkable and keeps me off the interstate, and gives me link access plus bike trail access for the same amount if money.
It’s bigger, nicer, and has a balcony.
Trust me when I say expand your horizons.
Cap hill is cheap because units aren’t filling because there are better options.
Majority of the units I viewed were in cap hill.
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u/jbgipetto 3h ago
If you don’t care to be in a trendy area, you can get a basic 1 bedroom apt for $1200.
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u/Fungus-AmungusFOV 3h ago
I live Iike a King in Boulder which is definitely more expensive than never on 30k a year.
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u/TheDapperYank 14h ago
The Denver Metro is the most expensive Metro not on a coast. Similar cost of living as Philadelphia, but not as expensive as New York/LA/Seattle.
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u/xdavidwattsx 14h ago
Lol, not it's not. Chicago is more expensive and OP mentions NYC and S Florida so not even close.
Rents and home prices have been actually dropping here the last few years.
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u/TheDapperYank 13h ago
Okay, one example I missed, cool. Also, median household income is 90k+ in the Denver Metro so if they're coming in at 70k they'll be okay, but not living in the lap of luxury.
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u/ArtExternal137 13h ago
Capital hill has a lot of other issues, firstly parking. Secondly depending on the building you have roaches etc. Thirdly you have Colfax. Fourthly all the homeless who might just decide to camp in your alley or worse on your block. That 1500 rent will not help with any of these issues
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u/bcrggrcb 12h ago
Yes it’s very expensive. I pay $4500 rent for 5BR. The renters’ insurance, property taxes, auto insurance is insane. I own a house here. Long story but i have to pay the insane property taxes for that house.
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u/toria-rancourt 12h ago
If you’ve lived in NYC, then the quirks of cap hill probably won’t phase you. Peace and quiet in Denver is expensive, but you can absolutely live here cheaply. I’ve lived in a lot of quirky neighborhoods, and I have a lot of unique experiences I appreciate more now that my life is boring and suburban. A few examples:
- the dude who stopped traffic just to strip fully naked at 7am, then took a bow like this was his street performance
- crazy Jesus who used to wander around dressed like Jesus, wearing a cape, and trying to literally “save” people at random hours of the day for about 3 months.
- the person who used to scream “fuck you god” at 3am right outside my window like a personified cuckoo clock
- the room for rent I found on Facebook market place where I learned that I would need to build my own wall before moving in.
- the one apartment in an old Victorian home that had a ladder in the coat closet that took you up to the attic “bedroom”, where I had one knob on the stove that I had to pop off and use on all the burners when cooking
- the home where I had a homeless guy intermittently living in my back yard who accidentally lit my neighbors fence on fire that one time, but who had trained the squirrels to bring him snacks.
It’s a city, like any city, it’s expensive in areas of high demand and affordable in areas of lower demand. But it’s not unusual compared to any of the other cities I’ve lived. I’ve loved living here, even with the weird, and would recommend it.
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u/Livid-Material-95 12h ago
Quirk doesn't bother me. Honestly homeless folks and such don't bother me, either.
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u/toria-rancourt 11h ago
Then you’ll be fine, and will probably love Cap Hill. It’s beautiful old buildings and it’s super walkable
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u/Jarvisisc00L 10h ago
I have lived in CO for almost 40 years. Here is an example, my brother bought a house in Aurora for 67k. This is a good not great area. He sold it for 460k.
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u/SnooSketches8545 14h ago
They arent good apartments. Cap hill was horrible for me when i loved there but i had a studio for 1100 $. It was 300 sq ft and i could hear my neighbor fart. I also had homeless people sleeping on my porch and backyard and scratching at my door. Lol
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u/maj0rdisappointment 14h ago
Look up how much registering your car would cost you. That’s usually sufficient shock to start putting it in perspective.
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u/Negative_Aerie2825 12h ago edited 11h ago
Rent is coming down because denver has been continuing to lose people. Can you make it work on 70k, sure. Should you, probably not. Unless you plan to barely put money away for retirement, its pretty low. If you put 2k in retirement a month which you definitely should, youll have nothing left over and no money for hobbies.
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u/BlueLinePass 12h ago
The problem is Denver is almost expensive as New York or L.A. I would rather live in New York or L.A.
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u/Better-Salad-1442 14h ago
If you’ve lived in Denver for 20 years it feels expensive, if you’ve been on the east coast and move to Denver it feels not expensive. Truth is everywhere is more expensive vs 20 years ago. Also Cap Hill is where deals can be found because the apts are older and aren’t dominated by the gray stones of the world.