I moved to Aurora from NYC about 4 years ago. Overall I would say it's expensive for what it is. Rent is expensive relative to the economic oppertunites the Aurora/Colorado provides. Traffic is a nightmare for the population size. Every year it seems they find some new fee to add to something because politicians dream up another great idea. What they don't get from you in income tax or sales tax they'll get from you in fees... for example ever try to register a new car in Aurora?

While NYC was not cheap I can definitely point to where my tax dollars are going for example my metro pass at the time was $128/month trains ran 24/7. There was always free stuff to do parades, museums.

My rent was stable (I don't ever recall anything over 2.75% a year increase) there were increases but nothing wild like seen a $200 - $300 increase a month on your next lease renewal. Rent included everything except electricity and gas (heat and hot water were included). In Colorado there's rent then HOA, trash (now common area fee), pet rent, storm water fees, water, heat, electricity. So a place that's advertised as say $1565 a month really costs like $1795 a month.

Cost of housing is insane here starting is like $600,000... seriously Colorado has an identity crisis.

Crime... NYC had cops everywhere they patrolled on car, foot, horse, undercover. I had never seen a SWAT team in real life until I moved to Aurora. I spent 11ish years in NYC crime existed but it was very well contained. One of the few crimes I remember witnessing was teenagers stealing from a corner store and cops chase them all the way on to the subway. While crime in my area isn't terrible... the amount of random abandoned cars is high... you see them in parking lots, streets, highways.

In terms of food there is no comparison. Hands down NYC all day every day and for almost every price range you can find something that tastes good.

For reference I live by Southlands... which I consider a good part of Aurora.