City comparison
Boston, MA vs Colorado Springs, CO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 7.5% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $107,500 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,088 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.4% moving from Boston, MA to Colorado Springs, CO ($120,548 → $109,246), while prices change by −7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.6% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- 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
| Boston, MA | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,018 in Colorado Springs | $107,506 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,088/yr.
92 Strong offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$1,088/yr.
25 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Boston → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $63,351 | −2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $76,650 | −2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $91,870 | −2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $109,246 | −2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $129,096 | −2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $61,140 | $65,729 (−33.0%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $134,280 | $144,359 (−13.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $85,000 | $91,380 (−8.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $96,140 | $103,356 (−2.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.