Moving from Fargo to Denver

Moving to Denver costs you $560 a month

−$6,720 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.

Fargo leftover

$3,194

a month after tax and rent

Denver leftover

$2,634

−$560 vs Fargo

Monthly and annual budget comparison between Fargo, ND and Denver, CO
Per monthFargoDenverDifference
Gross pay$7,375$8,255+$880
Income and payroll tax$1,529$2,058+$529
Take-home pay$5,846$6,197+$351
Rent$881$1,490+$609
Getting around$505$551+$46
Groceries$349$420+$71
Healthcare$393$473+$80
Utilities$218$263+$45
Everything else$306$368+$62
Left over$3,194$2,634−$560

To break even in Denver, you'd need to earn

$109,500

Household gross, versus $88,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Fargo does now.

The tax difference alone

−$3,220

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 20.7% in Fargo, 24.9% in Denver.

More about Denver

Fargo, ND in full

State income tax topping out at 2.5%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,049 and 193 sunny days; commutes average 18 minutes.

Denver, CO in full

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

The reverse move

Same two cities, but starting from Denver on Denver wages.

DenverFargo

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Denver than Fargo?

A one-bedroom is about $881 in Fargo versus $1,490 in Denver. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $560 a month lower in Denver. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.

Does Denver have state income tax?

Denver is in Colorado, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Fargo to Denver?

Take-home pay is recalculated under Colorado tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.

Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.