City comparison
Austin, TX vs Colorado Springs, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 2.7% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $102,700 in Colorado Springs, CO to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,692 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.2% moving from Austin, TX to Colorado Springs, CO ($109,428 → $109,246), while prices change by +2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,693 in Colorado Springs | $97,378 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
61 Fair offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.7%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Austin → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $63,351 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $76,650 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $91,870 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $109,246 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $129,096 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $61,140 | $59,537 (−2.8%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $134,280 | $130,759 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $85,000 | $82,771 (−0.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $96,140 | $93,619 (−4.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.