Overall
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial
- 105.8
- Salem
- 103.6
Diff -2.1 RPP
Denver-Aurora-Centennial vs Salem
Cost of living comparison based on BEA Regional Price Parities. Salem is 2% less expensive than Denver-Aurora-Centennial.
2% less expensive
Salem, OR is 2% less expensive than Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO on BEA Regional Price Parities (overall RPP 103.6 vs 105.8). A $100,000 salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial buys about the same as $97,984 in Salem; the largest component gap is rents.
- Overall RPP 105.8 (Denver-Aurora-Centennial) vs 103.6 (Salem)
- $100k in Denver-Aurora-Centennial ≈ $97,984 purchasing power in Salem
- Rents drives the gap (-36.6 RPP points)
RPP parity plate
Pair CO:OR 105.8→103.6
TIER-NEAR · CROSS-STATE · SPLIT-BUDGET · BOTH-ABOVE · PP-PAR
- TIER-NEAR Near tier
- CROSS-STATE CO × OR
- SPLIT-BUDGET Split budget
- BOTH-ABOVE Both above 100
- PP-PAR PP near-par
Instrument codes from this pair's BEA Regional Price Parities (overall · goods · services · rents · national benchmark 100 · purchasing-power conversion), not a ranking or recommendation.
Category Breakdown
Goods
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial
- 101.0
- Salem
- 105.3
Diff +4.3 RPP
Services
- Salem
- 104.7
Diff +16.8 RPP
Rents
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial
- 146.9
- Salem
- 110.3
Diff -36.6 RPP
| Category | Denver-Aurora-Centennial | Salem | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 105.8 | 103.6 | -2.1 |
| Goods | 101.0 | 105.3 | +4.3 |
| Services | 87.9 | 104.7 | +16.8 |
| Rents | 146.9 | 110.3 | -36.6 |
Visual Comparison
Overall
Denver-Aurora-Centennial 105.8
Salem 103.6
Goods
Denver-Aurora-Centennial 101.0
Salem 105.3
Services
Denver-Aurora-Centennial 87.9
Salem 104.7
Rents
Denver-Aurora-Centennial 146.9
Salem 110.3
Vertical line = national average (100)
What This Comparison Actually Tells You
Rents creates the largest separation: Salem is 36.6 points lower. But services and goods move against the overall direction, so this is a split budget rather than a clean across-the-board winner.
Salem, OR is 2% less expensive than Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, a meaningful but not extreme shift. The move decision turns on which budget category creates the 2.1-point overall gap.
Both metros exceed the U.S. benchmark of 100. The choice is between two national premiums, so local wages need to clear the higher baseline in either market.
Comparable population context is incomplete for this pair, so no market-scale explanation is inferred from the price indexes.
For a housing-sensitive move, validate the rent gap first: HUD Fair Market Rent and the actual unit size can overturn what the blended index implies. On the BEA ratio alone, $100,000 in Denver-Aurora-Centennial corresponds to $97,984 in Salem.
Denver-Aurora-Centennial
105.8
Cost Index
Salem
103.6
Cost Index
Salary Equivalents
What a salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial would need to be in Salem for the same purchasing power:
| In Denver-Aurora-Centennial | In Salem | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $48,992 | $-1,008 |
| $75,000 | $73,488 | $-1,512 |
| $100,000 | $97,984 | $-2,016 |
| $150,000 | $146,975 | $-3,025 |
$ in Denver-Aurora-Centennial = in Salem
Same BEA Regional Price Parity ratio as the table above (105.8 → 103.6), computed live from your number, nothing is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Salem more expensive than Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Salem is 2% less expensive than Denver-Aurora-Centennial. The overall cost index is 103.6 vs 105.8 (national average = 100).
What salary in Salem equals $100K in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
A $100,000 salary in Denver-Aurora-Centennial has the same purchasing power as $97,984 in Salem. This is based on the BEA Regional Price Parity indexes.
How do rents compare between Denver-Aurora-Centennial and Salem?
Rents in Denver-Aurora-Centennial are indexed at 146.9 while Salem is at 110.3 (national average = 100). Denver-Aurora-Centennial has higher rents.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.