City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs San Francisco, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Francisco, CA are 14.8% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $114,800 in San Francisco, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,977 a month in San Francisco, CA versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Francisco, CA and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in San Francisco, CA than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +21.8% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to San Francisco, CA ($109,246 → $133,060), while prices change by +14.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.1% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- San Francisco, CA: price level 115.6 (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 | San Francisco, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 115.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,801 in San Francisco | $87,107 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $2,977/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $74,260 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 194.7 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 108.5 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 172.6 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 106.2 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 115.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → San Francisco, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.9%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
3 Weak offer
San Francisco, CA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; San Francisco, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to San Francisco, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | San Francisco, CA | Real change, Colorado Springs → San Francisco |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $77,161 | +6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $93,358 | +6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $111,896 | +6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $133,060 | +6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $157,236 | +6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $101,860 | $88,727 (+45.1%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $186,640 | $162,576 (+21.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $110,730 | $96,454 (+13.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $186,610 | $162,550 (+69.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.