Moving to Colorado from California
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from California to Colorado — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from California to Colorado, you would find that Colorado is 8.0% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $68,240 in Colorado to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Denver averages 65°F vs 74°F in Sacramento, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from California to Colorado.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $68,240
To maintain the same standard of living in Colorado
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.3% less
Groceries
pay 10.3% less
Transportation
pay 3.1% less
Housing
pay 11.9% less
Childcare
pay 23.7% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.1% less
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 15% less than cities in California.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from California to Colorado.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
California generally does better on safety, though Colorado leads in violent crime rate.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Colorado leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Colorado performs significantly better than California across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Colorado performs significantly better than California across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
California generally does better on employment & economy, though Colorado leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
California generally does better on family life, though Colorado leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sacramento | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 72°/43°F (22°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 85°/55°F (29°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Colorado than California?
Yes — Colorado is on average about 9% cheaper than California. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Colorado?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $17,060 in Colorado on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Colorado safe?
California generally does better on safety, though Colorado leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Colorado compared to California?
California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Colorado leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Colorado compared to California?
The average high temperature in Denver is 65°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Denver receives around 14.3 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
