City comparison
Augusta, GA 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 9.6% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $109,600 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 $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $876 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.6% moving from Augusta, GA to Colorado Springs, CO ($106,437 → $109,246), while prices change by +9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.3% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much 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
| Augusta, GA | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,580 in Colorado Springs | $91,258 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$876/yr.
41 Weak offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$876/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA 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 Augusta, GA to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Augusta → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,351 | −6.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,650 | −6.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,870 | −6.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $109,246 | −6.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $129,096 | −6.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $61,140 | $55,795 (−11.4%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $134,280 | $122,541 (+2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $85,000 | $77,569 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $96,140 | $87,735 (−0.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.