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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
Tulsa skyline
Nils Huenerfuerst. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo source · License

Denver vs Tulsa

$90/mo less in Tulsa

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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DenverTulsaAbout 524 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Tulsa costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 227 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,541/mo in Tulsa. $2,631/mo in Denver. −$1,080 a year.

Denver

$2,631

left each month

Tulsa

$2,541

−$90 vs Denver

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Tulsa wins 2 of 4Denver 2 · ties 0
$6,193Take-home · Denver$5,335
$1,489Rent · Tulsa$967
$2,073Other bills · Tulsa$1,827
$2,631Left over · Denver$2,541

Next

In 2022-2023, 189 households moved Denver → Tulsa (avg AGI $73,767). 181 went the other way. The whole move →

−$90 / 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 monthDenverTulsa
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Tulsa · this breakdownDenver · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Denver, CO and Tulsa, OK
Per monthDenverTulsaDifference
Gross pay$8,250$7,005−$1,245
Income and payroll tax$2,057$1,670−$387
Take-home pay$6,193$5,335−$858
Rent$1,489$967−$522
Getting around$551$536−$15
Groceries$420$356−$64
Healthcare$473$401−$72
Utilities$263$223−$40
Everything else$368$312−$56
Left over$2,631$2,541−$90

Salary to match Denver

$85,500

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

Tax difference

+$211

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.9% in Denver, 23.8% in Tulsa.

More about Tulsa

Denver, CO in full

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

Tulsa, OK in full

Paid remote workers to move here, and the housing math is why it worked.

The other way

Start in Tulsa.

Tulsa → Denver →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Tulsa than Denver?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Tulsa leaves about $90 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,489 in Denver and $967 in Tulsa.

Does Tulsa have state income tax?

Tulsa is in Oklahoma, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Denver to Tulsa?

The paycheck is taxed in Oklahoma. 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 Tulsa 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.