City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Columbia, SC
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 7.5% higher than in Columbia, SC. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbia, SC would need about $107,500 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 $1,164 in Columbia, SC. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 19% in Columbia, SC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,151 a year higher in Columbia, SC than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.6% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Columbia, SC ($109,246 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.8% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Columbia, SC: price level 93.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Columbia, SC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 93.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,004 in Columbia | $107,522 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,164/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,337 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $4,843 (SC) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $46,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Columbia, SC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 79.5 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 88.3 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 98.3 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 93.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Columbia, SC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,151/yr.
92 Strong offer
Columbia, SC → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,151/yr.
47 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Columbia, SC is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Columbia, SC at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Columbia, SC | Real change, Colorado Springs → Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $61,722 | +4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $74,678 | +4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $89,508 | +4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $106,437 | +4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $125,776 | +4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Columbia, SC | Columbia pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $60,050 | $64,567 (+5.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $123,380 | $132,660 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $69,210 | $74,416 (−12.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $81,920 | $88,082 (−8.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.