City comparison
Albuquerque, NM 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 5.4% higher than in Albuquerque, NM. Someone earning $100,000 in Albuquerque, NM would need about $105,400 in Colorado Springs, CO to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,464 a month in Colorado Springs, CO versus $1,185 in Albuquerque, NM. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 19% in Albuquerque, NM.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $3,569 a year in NM and $3,692 in CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Albuquerque, NM to Colorado Springs, CO ($107,592 → $109,246), while prices change by +5.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Albuquerque, NM: price level 95.5 (cheaper)
- 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
| Albuquerque, NM | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,402 in Colorado Springs | $94,875 in Albuquerque |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,185/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,611 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,569 (NM) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,060 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Albuquerque, NM MSA and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Albuquerque, NM and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albuquerque | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 89.2 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 77.9 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albuquerque, NM → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$123/yr.
53 Fair offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Albuquerque, NM
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$123/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albuquerque, NM is in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Albuquerque, NM to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albuquerque, NM | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Albuquerque → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,392 | $63,351 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,489 | $76,650 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,479 | $91,870 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,592 | $109,246 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,141 | $129,096 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albuquerque, NM | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Albuquerque dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $75,520 | $61,140 | $58,007 (−23.2%) |
| Software Developers | $123,700 | $134,280 | $127,398 (+3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,880 | $85,000 | $80,644 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,040 | $96,140 | $91,213 (−5.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.