Cost of Living in the Mountain West
Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Idaho, Montana, Utah & Wyoming
Photo: Harold Wainwright / UnsplashThe Mountain West — Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Idaho, Montana, Utah & Wyoming — covers 16 cities we track across 8 states. Median one-bedroom rent across those cities is $1,167 — about the same as the $1,130 median across the 6 regions we track.
The cheapest city we track in the Mountain West is Las Cruces, NM, at $793/mo for a one-bedroom; the priciest is Denver, CO, at $1,583/mo. Median household income across the region's tracked cities is $77,109, 17% higher than the $65,767 median across all regions.
Region Medians
Medians across the 16 cities we track in the Mountain West — not a population-weighted regional figure.
States in the Mountain West
Cities in the Mountain West
- Phoenix, AZ1BR $1,253
- Denver, CO1BR $1,583
- Las Vegas, NV1BR $1,181
- Albuquerque, NM1BR $889
- Tucson, AZ1BR $891
- Mesa, AZ1BR $1,288
- Colorado Springs, CO1BR $1,305
- Aurora, CO1BR $1,138
- Henderson, NV1BR $1,437
- Reno, NV1BR $1,206
- Boise, ID1BR $1,133
- Salt Lake City, UT1BR $1,166
- Billings, MT1BR $889
- Las Cruces, NM1BR $793
- Santa Fe, NM1BR $1,167
- Cheyenne, WY1BR $824
Mountain West cost of living — FAQ
- Is the Mountain West expensive to live in?
- The Mountain West is on the pricier side of the 6 US regions we track. Its median one-bedroom rent of $1,167 ranks #2 of 6 and is about the same as the $1,130 median.
- What is the cheapest city to live in in the Mountain West?
- Las Cruces, NM is the cheapest of the cities we track in the Mountain West, with a one-bedroom rent of $793 a month.
- What is the most expensive city in the Mountain West?
- Denver, CO is the priciest of the cities we track in the Mountain West, with a one-bedroom rent of $1,583 a month.
- Which states are in the Mountain West?
- We track cities in 8 states in the Mountain West: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Idaho, Montana, Utah & Wyoming.
Sources: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year; NOAA Climate Normals 1981–2010; Tax Foundation 2026 (state taxes).