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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Denver skyline
Quintin Soloviev. CC BY 4.0. Photo source · License
Rapid City skyline
WeaponizingArchitecture. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License

Denver vs Rapid City

$65/mo less in Rapid City

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
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DenverRapid CityAbout 344 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Rapid City costs you more
  • No state income tax
  • Rent under 30% of pay

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,566/mo in Rapid City. $2,631/mo in Denver. −$780 a year.

Denver

$2,631

left each month

Rapid City

$2,566

−$65 vs Denver

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Rapid City wins 2 of 4Denver 2 · ties 0
$6,193Take-home · Denver$5,490
$1,489Rent · Rapid City$1,138
$2,073Other bills · Rapid City$1,786
$2,631Left over · Denver$2,566

Next

In 2022-2023, 125 households moved Denver → Rapid City (avg AGI $66,784). 69 went the other way. The whole move →

−$65 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthDenverRapid City
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Rapid City · this breakdownDenver · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Denver, CO and Rapid City, SD
Per monthDenverRapid CityDifference
Gross pay$8,250$6,810−$1,440
Income and payroll tax$2,057$1,320−$736
Take-home pay$6,193$5,490−$703
Rent$1,489$1,138−$351
Getting around$551$515−$36
Groceries$420$351−$69
Healthcare$473$395−$78
Utilities$263$219−$44
Everything else$368$307−$61
Left over$2,631$2,566−$65

Salary to match Denver

$83,000

Gross pay in Rapid City that leaves the same amount as $99,000 in Denver.

Tax difference

+$3,714

A year, in state and local income tax. South Dakota has no wage income tax.

More about Rapid City

Denver, CO in full

Mountains in an hour, 245 sunny days, and a flat 4.4% state tax.

Rapid City, SD in full

No state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,355 and 237 sunny days; commutes average 20 minutes.

The other way

Start in Rapid City.

Rapid City → Denver →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Rapid City than Denver?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Rapid City leaves about $65 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,489 in Denver and $1,138 in Rapid City.

Does Rapid City have state income tax?

Rapid City is in South Dakota, which has no state income tax.

What changes if you move from Denver to Rapid City?

The paycheck is taxed in South Dakota. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.

Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Denver and Rapid City changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.

Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.