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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
Palace of the Governors
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Denver vs Santa Fe

$705/mo less in Santa Fe

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
Less leftMore left

DenverSanta FeAbout 277 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Santa Fe costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 276 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $1,926/mo in Santa Fe. $2,631/mo in Denver. −$8,460 a year.

Denver

$2,631

left each month

Santa Fe

$1,926

−$705 vs Denver

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Santa Fe wins 1 of 4Denver 3 · ties 0
$6,193Take-home · Denver$5,312
$1,489Rent · Denver$1,503
$2,073Other bills · Santa Fe$1,883
$2,631Left over · Denver$1,926

Next

In 2022-2023, 90 households moved Denver → Santa Fe (avg AGI $93,633). 107 went the other way. The whole move →

−$705 / 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 monthDenverSanta Fe
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Santa Fe · this breakdownDenver · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Denver, CO and Santa Fe, NM
Per monthDenverSanta FeDifference
Gross pay$8,250$6,888−$1,362
Income and payroll tax$2,057$1,576−$481
Take-home pay$6,193$5,312−$881
Rent$1,489$1,503+$14
Getting around$551$491−$60
Groceries$420$384−$36
Healthcare$473$432−$41
Utilities$263$240−$23
Everything else$368$336−$32
Left over$2,631$1,926−$705

Salary to match Denver

$95,500

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

Tax difference

+$921

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.9% in Denver, 22.9% in Santa Fe.

More about Santa Fe

Denver, CO in full

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

Santa Fe, NM in full

State income tax topping out at 5.9%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,789 and 276 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.

The other way

Start in Santa Fe.

Santa Fe → Denver →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Santa Fe than Denver?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Santa Fe leaves about $705 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,489 in Denver and $1,503 in Santa Fe.

Does Santa Fe have state income tax?

Santa Fe is in New Mexico, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Denver to Santa Fe?

The paycheck is taxed in New Mexico. 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 Santa Fe 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.