Moving to Colorado from Utah

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Utah to Colorado — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Utah to Colorado, you would find that Colorado is 16.7% more expensive than Utah. A $75,000 salary in Utah would need to be roughly $87,855 in Colorado to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Utah to Colorado.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $87,855

To maintain the same standard of living in Colorado

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 18.8% more

Groceries

pay 11.7% more

Transportation

pay 2.6% more

Housing

pay 21.8% more

Childcare

pay 35.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 17.4% more

See full cost of living breakdown

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 Utah to Colorado.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

UT
224
CO
463
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

UT
1576
CO
2814

Utah performs better than Colorado across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

UT
8.1%
CO
7.3%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

UT
32.3%
CO
26.3%

Colorado generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Utah leads in adult smoking rate.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

UT
$455,000
CO
$502,200
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

UT
$1,405
CO
$1,693

Utah performs better than Colorado across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

UT
92.9%
CO
92.9%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

UT
22 min
CO
26 min

Utah performs better than Colorado across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

UT
3.5%
CO
3.6%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

UT
$66,207
CO
$74,650

Utah generally does better on employment & economy, though Colorado leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

UT
78.6 yrs
CO
78.3 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

UT
21%
CO
30%

Utah 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.

Salt Lake CityRain: 16.1 in/yr (409 mm)
64°/42°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsSalt Lake CityDenver
Jan–Mar45°/27°F (7°/-3°C)48°/21°F (9°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun72°/48°F (22°/9°C)72°/43°F (22°/6°C)
Jul–Sep87°/60°F (31°/16°C)85°/55°F (29°/13°C)
Oct–Dec51°/32°F (10°/0°C)53°/26°F (12°/-3°C)
View all months
MonthSalt Lake CityDenver
Jan37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C)44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C)
Feb43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C)46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C)
Mar54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C)54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C)
Apr62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C)62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C)
May72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C)71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C)
Jun83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C)82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C)
Jul93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C)89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C)
Aug90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C)87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C)
Sep79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C)78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C)
Oct65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C)65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C)
Nov49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C)52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C)
Dec38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°C)43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Colorado than Utah?

No — Colorado is on average about 17% more expensive than Utah. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Colorado?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $21,964 in Colorado on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).

Is Colorado safe?

Utah performs better than Colorado across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Colorado compared to Utah?

Colorado generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Utah leads in adult smoking rate.

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

The average high temperature in Denver is 65°F, compared to 64°F in Salt Lake City. Denver receives around 14.3 in of rainfall per year, while Salt Lake City gets 16.1 in.

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