Living Cost Compare
Casper

Wyoming

$930/mo est.

vs
Laramie

Wyoming

$890/mo est.

Monthly estimate = 1BR rent + electricity + gas

A one-person monthly baseline (1BR rent plus typical utilities) runs $930 in Casper, WY versus $890 in Laramie, WY. Overall, Laramie, WY is roughly 4% cheaper to live in day-to-day than Casper, WY, driven mainly by rent.

Median household income is $69,171 in Casper, WY and $52,414 in Laramie, WY — about 24% higher in Casper, WY. Both cities are in Wyoming, so state taxes are identical: no state income tax and a 4% state sales tax.

Rent

Studio
$730
$667
+9% in Casper, WY
1 Bedroom
$764
$728
+5% in Casper, WY
2 Bedroom
$930
$883
+5% in Casper, WY
3 Bedroom
$1,299
$1,423
+10% in Laramie, WY

Buying a Home

Median Home Value
$250,700
$302,200
+21% in Laramie, WY

Income

Median Household Income
$69,171
$52,414
+24% in Casper, WY
Metro Median Wage (annual)
$48,880

People & Lifestyle

Median Age
37.0 yr
26.9 yr
+10.1 yr in Casper, WY
Homeownership
70.3%
44.1%
+26.2 pp in Casper, WY
Bachelor's+ (25+)
30.0%
55.8%
+25.8 pp in Laramie, WY
Avg Commute
16.9 min
13.5 min
+3.4 min in Casper, WY

Crime (per 100k/yr)

Violent Crime
302.4
129.6
+57% in Casper, WY
Property Crime
2,123.8
1,175.9
+45% in Casper, WY

FBI Crime Data Explorer. Offenses per 100,000 residents per year; agency reporting practices vary, so this is approximate.

Climate

Avg Annual Temperature
45.4°F
41.0°F
+4.4°F in Casper, WY
Annual Precipitation
12.5 in
10.9 in
+1.6 in in Casper, WY

Gas

Regular Gasoline
$4.27/gal
$4.27/gal
about equal

Area: Rocky Mountain (PADD 4) vs Rocky Mountain (PADD 4).

Utilities

Electricity (¢/kWh)
15.2
15.2
about equal
Natural Gas ($/MCF)
$18.28
$18.28
about equal

Residential, state-level averages (EIA). MCF = 1,000 cubic feet.

Groceries

Milk (gal)
$4.82
$4.82
about equal
Bread (lb)
$2.04
$2.04
about equal
Eggs (doz)
$2.19
$2.19
about equal
Ground Beef (lb)
$7.36
$7.36
about equal
Chicken (lb)
$2.01
$2.01
about equal
Bananas (lb)
$0.70
$0.70
about equal

Average prices — West vs West (BLS). Regional where available, otherwise U.S. average.

State Taxes

Sales Tax (WY / WY)
4%
4%
about equal
Income Tax (top rate)
None
None
about equal

Casper vs Laramie — FAQ

Is it cheaper to live in Casper or Laramie?
Laramie, WY is cheaper. Its monthly baseline of $890 (1BR rent + utilities) runs about 4% below Casper, WY's $930, mainly because of rent.
How much more do you need to earn to live in Casper than in Laramie?
To keep rent near the recommended 30% of gross income, you'd want to earn roughly $31,000 a year in Casper versus $29,000 in Laramie.
Which has lower taxes, Casper or Laramie?
Neither — both are in Wyoming, so they share the same state tax rates: no state income tax and a 4% state sales tax.

Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year (rent, income, home value, demographics); NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010 (climate); EIA weekly retail (gas); Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).