Food/Household item prices. (Denver, Colorado Springs: sales, real estate, mortgage)

[warm11]

My husband might tranfer his job to Colorado. He will most likely be working in the Denver area but might work in the Colorado Springs area. I know prices vary and all but whats the average price for food and household item? Milk? Rice? Pasta? Meats? Bacon? Tiolet Paper? Clothing? We will be visiting CO before we move. Thanks in Advance.

[Mike from back east]

Overall, the price of most supermarket items here is on a par with most other cities. Here's a few examples from COLO SPGS:

- Gallon of milk: $2.50 to $3.50 depending on brands.
- Bathroom tissue: Scott brand, 12 rolls, $10.69
- OJ: Florida's Natural, half gallon, $3.49
- Gasoline: Regular, gallon, $3.39 (less supermarket discounts of 10 or 20 or 30 cents/gallon, depending on how much you spend there)
- Bananas: pound, $0.55
- Eggs: Land of Lakes, brown, dozen, $2.99

Housing is a good deal cheaper in COLO SPGS than in much of Denver, and it's easier to get around here.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Do you ever shop at Costco or Sams Club? Their prices can be much lower than at the chain supermarkets, which is probably what Mike was quoting.

I suggest that you go on-line and check the two big chain stores for their prices and ads. They are King Soopers and Safeway. Depending on where you are moving from, you may be familiar with Kroger; King Soopers is part of the Kroger family.

[jazzlover]

Most of the other living cost comparison websites (which can't be cited directly on C-D) indicate that food costs on the Front Range and Colorado in general are higher than the national average. Based on my travels around the country, I would concur with that conclusion. For the past year or so, Front Range gasoline prices have lagged the national average, but that has not always been the case historically--and fuel prices outside of the metro areas frequently exceed the national averages. In short, Colorado may seem cheap to people from the Coasts (but incomes are lower in Colorado, too), but Colorado is usually more expensive--often substantially--than most areas in the central part of the United States.

[CosmicWizard]

When I moved to Colorado from Virginia 5 and a half years ago, I found that food prices were slightly lower in Colorado, gas was about the same, and housing, heating & cooling costs were MUCH lower.

[Idunn]

I generally consider the price of food and household items in Colorado as on par with the greater United States.

But there are obviously regional differences. Gasoline can cost appreciably more on the Pacific West Coast, and if memory serves some food items possibly as well. Urban areas such as the Bay Area of California, or Seattle on Puget Sound, are expensive in general, with surely the cost of merchant rent, etc. being passed on in goods sold. But the greatest expense, as with Colorado, is for real estate.

So unless you plan on living in a tent the ongoing cost of your mortgage likely a bigger factor in the budget than what the cost of a gallon of milk is. In some respects Colorado could even be considered more expensive than some urban areas on the coasts, because even if the real estate, save maybe Aspen and ilk, not as stratospheric in cost, also without the larger job markets and possible paychecks.

Thus it may come down more to an individual assessment. In knowing that living in Colorado will basically cost more than in Mississippi, probably less than in New York City, but assuming one likes it more the question if suitable employment can be found.

But if focused closely on what grocery and everyday items cost, just be glad you do not live in some other countries, such as New Zealand.

[warm11]

Thanks for the answers. It seems about the same prices as here in Florida. If we move there my husband already will have employment there. So we wont have to worry about him not having a job lined up.

[strawberrykiki]

I moved here from VA and haven't noticed a huge difference. Maybe things here are a little higher, but I also get paid more at my job to compensate so I think it evens out.

[gmm_24]

I was in VA last year and there was not much of a difference. Not sure about FL prices.

I was shopping in Kings last night up North and here are some prices:

Laundry detergent normal size- not Tide $5.49
Gallon of milk on sale $1.99- not on sale $2.69
Pound of their brand pasta -on sale- $1.16
Land o Lakes lb of butter ( 4 quarters)- $4.39
Bag of Doritios- $3.59
Ground beef large pk 3.21 lbs -on sale- $10.50
8 oz package of provolone- $3.89
head of lettuce- $1.29
green bell peppers- on sale- .99 each
dozen large eggs- $1.63
store brand yogurt- .40
bacon- on sale- $3.99
rice store brand small box $1.99- minute rice $2.79 small box, I have no patience for the long cooking rice

tax 4.9% on some items, 2.9% on other items, no tax on the rest.

For the most part the sales ads at your Penny's, Kohl's, Bed Bath and Beyond and etc are the same ones here with the same prices. Most ads only say the prices are not valid in NYC on the bottom back of the page. You can look up the store ads online, just pick a CO zip code and you can view the ads.
The one difference might be sales tax. On average I pay 8.75% and 9.75% at the newer stores that have a Public Improvement Fee attached to all sales for X number of years. Other counties sales tax varies.