City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Miami, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 13.4% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $113,400 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,995 a month in Miami, FL versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, 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 Miami, FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.8% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Miami, FL ($109,246 → $113,356), while prices change by +13.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.5% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Miami, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 114.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,354 in Miami | $88,220 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $48,640 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 155.6 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 103.6 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 97.2 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 109.1 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 114.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.8%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax −$3,692/yr.
30 Weak offer
Miami, FL → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,692/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Miami, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Miami, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Miami, FL | Real change, Colorado Springs → Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $65,735 | −8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $79,533 | −8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $95,326 | −8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $113,356 | −8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $133,953 | −8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Miami, FL | Miami pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $58,300 | $51,432 (−15.9%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $132,650 | $117,023 (−12.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $80,920 | $71,387 (−16.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $91,380 | $80,615 (−16.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.