City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 2.6% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $102,600 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,400 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Phoenix, AZ ($109,246 → $111,338), while prices change by +2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.7% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,591 in Phoenix | $97,475 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,400/yr.
61 Fair offer
Phoenix, AZ → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,400/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Colorado Springs → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $64,564 | −0.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $78,117 | −0.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $93,629 | −0.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $111,338 | −0.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $131,568 | −0.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $59,180 | $57,686 (−5.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $131,750 | $128,423 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $80,820 | $78,779 (−7.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $100,830 | $98,284 (+2.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.