City comparison
Cape Coral, FL vs Colorado Springs, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Cape Coral, FL are 1.6% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $101,600 in Cape Coral, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,638 a month in Cape Coral, FL versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Cape Coral, FL 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 Cape Coral, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.6% moving from Cape Coral, FL to Colorado Springs, CO ($106,437 → $109,246), while prices change by −1.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.3% in real buying power.
- Cape Coral, FL: price level 102.3 (pricier)
- 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
| Cape Coral, FL | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.3 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,396 in Colorado Springs | $101,630 in Cape Coral |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,638/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,780 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL MSA and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cape Coral | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 125.1 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 86.9 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 102.3 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cape Coral, FL → Colorado Springs, CO
Roughly even
Buying power +1.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
74 Strong offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Cape Coral, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −1.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
64 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cape Coral, FL 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 Cape Coral, FL to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cape Coral, FL | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Cape Coral → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,351 | +4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,650 | +4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,870 | +4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,246 | +4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $129,096 | +4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cape Coral, FL | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Cape Coral dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,470 | $61,140 | $62,137 (+2.8%) |
| Software Developers | $126,940 | $134,280 | $136,469 (+7.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,420 | $85,000 | $86,386 (+8.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,860 | $96,140 | $97,708 (+17.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.