City comparison
Boise City, ID 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 2.4% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $102,400 in Colorado Springs, CO to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,464 a month in Colorado Springs, CO versus $1,381 in Boise City, ID. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 22% in Boise City, ID.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $500 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.6% moving from Boise City, ID to Colorado Springs, CO ($106,437 → $109,246), while prices change by +2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.3% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (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
| Boise City, ID | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,354 in Colorado Springs | $97,700 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$500/yr.
62 Fair offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Boise City, ID
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$500/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Boise City → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,351 | +0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,650 | +0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,870 | +0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,246 | +0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $129,096 | +0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $61,140 | $59,734 (−2.4%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $134,280 | $131,192 (−0.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $85,000 | $83,045 (+8.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $96,140 | $93,929 (−4.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.