Cheapest Cities in Colorado
7 most affordable metro areas ranked by cost of living index
Where the Affordability Lives in Colorado
The most affordable metro inside Colorado is Pueblo, CO with an overall Regional Price Parity of 91.8, 8.2% below the national average of 100. Goods there index at 96.1, services at 81.9, and rents at 71.3 — and because rents carry the heaviest weight in the BEA formula, the low rent figure is typically what anchors a metro into the cheapest tier for its state.
Across the 7 lowest-cost Colorado metro areas in this ranking, the average overall index is 100.0 and the average rent index is 115.9. 2 of these 7 metros sit below the U.S. national average, which tells you how much of a discount these areas really deliver relative to the country as a whole. The gap from Pueblo, CO (91.8) up to Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO (105.8) inside this affordable list is 14.0 index points — a meaningful spread even among "cheapest" metros.
Translated into household budget, a nationally-priced $100,000 lifestyle in Pueblo, CO costs about $91,762, leaving room for savings, housing quality upgrades, or lower work hours compared to high-cost coastal metros. Keep in mind that a low RPP does not automatically mean low local wages — local earning potential, commute distance, school quality, and property taxes all stack on top of the BEA price index. For anyone considering relocation inside Colorado, these cheapest metros are the right starting list, but always validate with rent tables and salary data specific to your occupation before committing.
| # | Metro | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pueblo, CO | 91.8 |
| 2 | Grand Junction, CO | 95.5 |
| 3 | Greeley, CO | 100.2 |
| 4 | Colorado Springs, CO | 100.7 |
| 5 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 101.1 |
| 6 | Boulder, CO | 105.2 |
| 7 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 105.8 |
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities Index where national average = 100
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.