Denver
United States
Mile-High Mountain Living, Craft Beer Culture, and 300 Days of Sunshine
Denver sits at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, offering FIRE retirees an unmatched combination of outdoor adventure, urban culture, and over 300 days of sunshine per year. The city has evolved far beyond its frontier roots into a sophisticated metro with a thriving craft beer scene, excellent farm-to-table dining, and world-class skiing just 90 minutes away. Housing costs have climbed significantly in recent years but remain well below coastal cities, and Colorado's flat state income tax keeps the overall tax burden moderate. For anyone who values hiking, biking, skiing, and an active lifestyle, Denver is hard to beat.
What Your Portfolio Gets You in Denver
We break down the lifestyle you can afford at five portfolio levels, using a 4% safe withdrawal rate. Each tier shows realistic monthly costs for housing, food, healthcare, entertainment, and more in Denver.
Your Portfolio
1BR apartment in Montbello, Westwood, or outer Aurora
Brewery taprooms and casual eateries 2-3x/week; mostly cooking at home
Connect for Health Colorado Silver plan; Colorado premiums are moderate
Paid-off car with basic insurance and gas; RTD light rail for downtown commutes
Free hiking on hundreds of Front Range trails, city parks, free brewery tours
2BR apartment in Capitol Hill, Baker, or a townhome in Sloan's Lake
Dining out 3-4x/week at mid-range restaurants in RiNo and LoDo; weekend brunch spots
Connect for Health Gold plan with dental and vision; access to UCHealth and SCL Health
Reliable car with full coverage, RTD pass, bike-share membership for summer
Ski day passes at Loveland or A-Basin, Red Rocks concerts, Rockies games, gym membership
3BR home in Wash Park, a modern condo in LoDo, or a house in Highlands
Regular dining at top Denver restaurants like Beckon, Guard and Grace, and The Wolf's Tailor
Premium private health insurance with comprehensive coverage and low deductibles
Late-model SUV for mountain trips, premium insurance, occasional rideshare
Ikon Pass for unlimited skiing, Broncos season tickets, Red Rocks VIP, premium gym
Luxury home in Cherry Creek, a penthouse in LoDo, or a modern estate in Hilltop
Private chef for entertaining, fine dining multiple nights per week, exclusive wine dinners
Concierge medicine at UCHealth, executive health screenings, premium private insurance
Luxury SUV for mountain trips, second vehicle, premium insurance, occasional private car service
Premium Broncos suite, Cherry Creek Country Club membership, heli-skiing trips, arts patronage
Bi-weekly house cleaning, landscaping, snow removal service, occasional personal assistant tasks
Mountain cabin weekends, first-class ski trips, quarterly travel, premium wine and spirits collecting
Cherry Hills Village estate, Polo Club mansion, or luxury penthouse in Union Station district
Full-time personal chef, catered events, private dining experiences, exclusive wine dinners
Top concierge medical practice at UCHealth, executive wellness programs, holistic health services
Multiple luxury vehicles, private car service, chartered flights from Centennial Airport
Private box at Empower Field, major arts and hospital philanthropy, heli-skiing, international travel
Full-time estate manager, housekeeper, personal assistant, property maintenance and snow removal crew
Mountain estate in Aspen or Vail, first-class international travel, art collecting, philanthropic giving
$3,333/month at 4% safe withdrawal rate
1BR apartment in Montbello, Westwood, or outer Aurora
Brewery taprooms and casual eateries 2-3x/week; mostly cooking at home
Connect for Health Colorado Silver plan; Colorado premiums are moderate
Paid-off car with basic insurance and gas; RTD light rail for downtown commutes
Free hiking on hundreds of Front Range trails, city parks, free brewery tours
What life looks like in Denver
Denver on a $1M budget requires discipline but rewards you with the outdoors. You will live in a modest apartment outside the trendy core, but the Rocky Mountain foothills are free and endlessly accessible. Brewery taprooms offer affordable socializing, and the dry climate keeps utility bills relatively low. Skiing is a splurge at this budget, but hiking season lasts most of the year.
$6,667/month at 4% safe withdrawal rate
2BR apartment in Capitol Hill, Baker, or a townhome in Sloan's Lake
Dining out 3-4x/week at mid-range restaurants in RiNo and LoDo; weekend brunch spots
Connect for Health Gold plan with dental and vision; access to UCHealth and SCL Health
Reliable car with full coverage, RTD pass, bike-share membership for summer
Ski day passes at Loveland or A-Basin, Red Rocks concerts, Rockies games, gym membership
What life looks like in Denver
At $2M, Denver starts to feel like home. You can afford a comfortable apartment in a walkable neighborhood like Capitol Hill or Baker, enjoy the booming RiNo food scene regularly, and actually hit the slopes a few times each winter. Red Rocks concerts become a summer staple, and you have enough margin to fully embrace the active, outdoor-centric lifestyle Denver is famous for.
$10,000/month at 4% safe withdrawal rate
3BR home in Wash Park, a modern condo in LoDo, or a house in Highlands
Regular dining at top Denver restaurants like Beckon, Guard and Grace, and The Wolf's Tailor
Premium private health insurance with comprehensive coverage and low deductibles
Late-model SUV for mountain trips, premium insurance, occasional rideshare
Ikon Pass for unlimited skiing, Broncos season tickets, Red Rocks VIP, premium gym
What life looks like in Denver
Life at $10K per month in Denver is outstanding. A beautiful home in Wash Park or the Highlands, regular dinners at the city's best restaurants, an Ikon Pass for unlimited skiing at Vail and Copper Mountain, and Broncos season tickets. Denver's combination of urban sophistication and immediate mountain access creates a lifestyle that is hard to find anywhere else in the country.
$16,667/month at 4% safe withdrawal rate
Luxury home in Cherry Creek, a penthouse in LoDo, or a modern estate in Hilltop
Private chef for entertaining, fine dining multiple nights per week, exclusive wine dinners
Concierge medicine at UCHealth, executive health screenings, premium private insurance
Luxury SUV for mountain trips, second vehicle, premium insurance, occasional private car service
Premium Broncos suite, Cherry Creek Country Club membership, heli-skiing trips, arts patronage
Bi-weekly house cleaning, landscaping, snow removal service, occasional personal assistant tasks
Mountain cabin weekends, first-class ski trips, quarterly travel, premium wine and spirits collecting
What life looks like in Denver
At $5M, Denver delivers the ultimate mountain-city lifestyle. A stunning home in Cherry Creek or a sleek LoDo penthouse, regular dinners at the finest restaurants, a luxury SUV loaded for weekend escapes to Aspen or Telluride, and deep involvement in Denver's growing arts and cultural scene. The mountains are your backyard and the city is your playground.
$33,333/month at 4% safe withdrawal rate
Cherry Hills Village estate, Polo Club mansion, or luxury penthouse in Union Station district
Full-time personal chef, catered events, private dining experiences, exclusive wine dinners
Top concierge medical practice at UCHealth, executive wellness programs, holistic health services
Multiple luxury vehicles, private car service, chartered flights from Centennial Airport
Private box at Empower Field, major arts and hospital philanthropy, heli-skiing, international travel
Full-time estate manager, housekeeper, personal assistant, property maintenance and snow removal crew
Mountain estate in Aspen or Vail, first-class international travel, art collecting, philanthropic giving
What life looks like in Denver
At $10M, Denver is your gateway to the best of both worlds. A sprawling Cherry Hills estate with mountain views, a personal chef, a second home in Aspen, and the ability to charter flights from Centennial Airport for weekend getaways. You are deeply embedded in Denver's philanthropic community, with private boxes at Broncos and Avalanche games and the Rocky Mountains as your personal playground.
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