Moving to Colorado from Minnesota
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Minnesota to Colorado — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Minnesota to Colorado, you would find that Colorado is 11.0% more expensive than Minnesota. A $75,000 salary in Minnesota would need to be roughly $86,644 in Colorado to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Denver averages 65°F vs 56°F in Saint Paul, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Minnesota to Colorado.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $86,644
To maintain the same standard of living in Colorado
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 9.7% more
Transportation
pay 6.4% more
Housing
pay 32.4% more
Childcare
pay 0.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.4% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Minnesota to Colorado.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Minnesota performs better than Colorado across all safety metrics.
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
Colorado generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Minnesota leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Minnesota performs better than Colorado across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Minnesota generally does better on infrastructure, though Colorado leads in internet access.
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
Colorado generally does better on employment & economy, though Minnesota leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Minnesota 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 | Saint Paul | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) | 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) | 72°/43°F (22°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) | 85°/55°F (29°/13°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) | 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Saint Paul | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) | 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C) |
| Feb | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) | 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) | 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C) |
| Apr | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) | 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C) |
| May | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) | 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C) |
| Jun | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) | 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C) |
| Aug | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) | 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) | 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) | 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C) |
| Nov | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) | 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C) |
| Dec | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) | 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Colorado than Minnesota?
No — Colorado is on average about 16% more expensive than Minnesota. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Colorado?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,661 in Colorado on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Colorado safe?
Minnesota performs better than Colorado across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Colorado compared to Minnesota?
Colorado generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Minnesota leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Colorado compared to Minnesota?
The average high temperature in Denver is 65°F, compared to 56°F in Saint Paul. Denver receives around 14.3 in of rainfall per year, while Saint Paul gets 28.5 in.
