Moving to Colorado from Australia

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Australia to Colorado? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Australia to Colorado, you would find that Colorado is 12.5% more expensive than Australia overall. A A$107,021 salary in Australia would need to be roughly $82,427 in Colorado to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Australia and Colorado.

What does your salary buy?

A$107,021 $82,427

To maintain the same standard of living in Colorado

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 12.5% more

Groceries

pay 21.0% more

Transportation

pay 5.0% less

Housing

pay 45.1% more

Childcare

pay 19.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 0.5% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 AUD = 0.7008 USD (June 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Colorado cost about 24% more than cities in Australia.

Australia

Sydney 64%
Melbourne 60%
Perth 57%
Brisbane 57%
Adelaide 55%

Colorado

Boulder 74%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Colorado

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Australia to Colorado.

Moved in 2023
3,500 ↓ 8% vs 2022

people moved from Australia to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Colorado compared to Australia.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

AU
29.0%
CO
26.3%

Colorado performs significantly better than Australia across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

AU
96.0%
CO
92.9%

Australia performs better than Colorado across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

AU
3.7%
CO
3.6%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

AU
$59,500
CO
$74,650

Colorado performs significantly better than Australia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

AU
83.1 yrs
CO
78.3 yrs

Australia performs better than Colorado across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Canberra Rain: 24.8 in/yr (629 mm)
67° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Denver Rain: 14.3 in/yr (363 mm)
65° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Canberra Denver
Jan–Mar 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) 72°/43°F (22°/6°C)
Jul–Sep 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) 85°/55°F (29°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C)
View all months
Month Canberra Denver
Jan 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C)
Feb 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C)
Mar 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C)
Apr 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C)
May 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C)
Jun 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C)
Jul 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C)
Aug 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C)
Sep 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C)
Oct 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C)
Nov 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C)
Dec 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C)

Data: Bureau of Meteorology Bureau of Meteorology, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

Australia passport

Australia passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Australia passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Australia

Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter Australia.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Colorado than Australia?

On average Colorado is around 10% pricier than Australia, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Colorado?

Budget about $20,607 for 3 months in Colorado (based on a A$107,021 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Colorado?

From major Colorado cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Australia and Colorado are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in Colorado compared to Australia?

Colorado performs significantly better than Australia across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Colorado compared to Australia?

The average high temperature in Denver is 65°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Denver receives around 14.3 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.

What language do they speak in Colorado?

Both Australia and Colorado share the same official language: English.

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At a Glance

AU
Population 26,141,369 5,029,196
Currency Australian Dollar (A$) United States Dollar ($)
Languages English English
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +61 +1
Time zones 8 11
Emergency number 000 911