Overall
Utah feels cheaper overall
Utah has the lower cost-of-living index, beating Colorado by 3.0 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
Colorado vs Utah: Cost of Living
Utah is cheaper overall by 3.0 cost-of-living points, but Utah has lower median home values.
Colorado
CO • West
110.2
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Utah
UT • West
107.2
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Visual Comparison
Colorado
110.2
Utah
107.2
Difference: 3.0 points — Utah leads.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 1.0x more for a home
Utah has the lower median home value, while buying in Colorado costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Utah puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Utah than in Colorado, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
Colorado keeps more income after state tax
Colorado has the lower top state income tax rate, which softens the total cost picture even when prices are close.
View detailed comparisonCost Stack
Colorado
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
110.2
Regional price parity
102.5
Regular gas price
$3.816/gal
Electricity price
16.44 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,651/mo
Median home value
$493,100
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
4.40%
State sales tax
2.90%
Property tax
0.48%
Income
Median household income
$87,598
Income after median rent
$5,649
Minimum wage
$15.16/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Restrictive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Legal
Utah
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
107.2
Regional price parity
95.6
Regular gas price
$4.162/gal
Electricity price
12.88 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,392/mo
Median home value
$484,100
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
4.65%
State sales tax
4.85%
Property tax
0.52%
Income
Median household income
$79,133
Income after median rent
$5,202
Minimum wage
$7.25/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
Control State
Marijuana status
Medical
What Stands Out
- Utah has lower median home values.
- Utah has the lower overall cost index.
- Colorado has the higher median household income.
- Colorado looks more attainable on home value to income ratio.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
Colorado vs Utah: Cost of Living in context
Utah has a cost of living of 107.2, compared with 110.2 in Colorado. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Colorado
110.2
Utah
107.2
Difference
3.0 points
People Also Ask
Colorado vs Utah Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is Colorado's cost of living?
Colorado's cost of living is 110.2.
Q What is Utah's cost of living?
Utah's cost of living is 107.2.
Q Which state has a lower cost of living — Colorado or Utah?
Utah is cheaper overall by 3.0 cost-of-living points, but Utah has lower median home values.
More Comparisons: Colorado vs Utah
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.