City comparison
Buffalo, NY 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 5.1% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $105,100 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 $1,139 in Buffalo, NY. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 18% in Buffalo, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,168 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.8% moving from Buffalo, NY to Colorado Springs, CO ($111,301 → $109,246), while prices change by +5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (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
| Buffalo, NY | Colorado Springs, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 100.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,074 in Colorado Springs | $95,171 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,464/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $75,488 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $3,692 (CO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $52,710 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Colorado Springs, CO |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Colorado Springs, CO.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 116.2 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.1 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 83.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 100.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,168/yr.
54 Fair offer
Colorado Springs, CO → Buffalo, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$1,168/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Colorado Springs, CO is in Colorado Springs, CO. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Colorado Springs, CO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Colorado Springs, CO | Real change, Buffalo → Colorado Springs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $63,351 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $76,650 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $91,870 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $109,246 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $129,096 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Colorado Springs, CO | Colorado Springs pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $61,140 | $58,188 (−23.9%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $134,280 | $127,796 (−0.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $85,000 | $80,895 (−1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $96,140 | $91,498 (−7.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.