Austin vs Denver
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Denver edges it, 63 to 62, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Austin is stronger on climate; Denver on getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Where they differ
- Getting there & around. Denver leads on getting there & around, 43 to 23, against Austin. Non-stop airport destinations: 91 vs 233.
- Climate. Austin leads on climate, 50 to 33, against Denver. Comfortable months: 6 vs 4.
- Air quality. Denver leads on air quality, 98 to 90, against Austin. PM2.5: 9.4 µg/m³ vs 6 µg/m³.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Austin if you want
- to spend about $231 less a month
- faster internet (87 Mbps measured)
- a longer comfortable season (6 months against 4)
Pick Denver if you want
- more flights and easier getting around
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Austin | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 22 ✓ | 18 |
| Safety | 51 | 51 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 |
| Internet | 82 ✓ | 78 |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 23 | 43 ✓ |
| Climate | 50 ✓ | 33 |
| Air quality | 90 | 98 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 96 | 96 |
Cost
| Metric | Austin | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,942 ✓ | $3,173 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $1,815 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Austin | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 5.76 | 5.76 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 60.3 | 60.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 |
| Life expectancy | 78.5 yrs | 78.5 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Austin | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 87 Mbps ✓ | 70.2 Mbps |
| Upload | 16.3 Mbps ✓ | 11.1 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Austin | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | home country | home country |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Austin | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 91 | 233 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Austin | Denver |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 ✓ | 4 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 9.4 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Austin or Denver?
- Austin is cheaper: about $2,942 per month versus $3,173 for one person.
- Is Austin or Denver safer?
- Austin and Denver score the same on safety (51), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Austin or Denver?
- Austin: a measured median of 87 Mbps versus 70.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (all items); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.3. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.