City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Lansing, MI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 6.0% higher than in Lansing, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Lansing, MI would need about $106,000 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 $1,012 in Lansing, MI. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 16% in Lansing, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $308 a year higher in Lansing, MI than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.5% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Lansing, MI ($109,246 → $117,402), while prices change by −5.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +13.9% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Lansing, MI: price level 95.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Lansing, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 95.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,324 in Lansing | $106,017 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,012/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $75,181 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,999 (MI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $52,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Lansing-East Lansing, MI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Lansing |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 83.5 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.7 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 95.5 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 99.6 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 95.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Lansing, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$308/yr.
88 Strong offer
Lansing, MI → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$308/yr.
51 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Lansing, MI is in Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Lansing, MI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Lansing, MI | Real change, Colorado Springs → Lansing |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $68,081 | +13.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $82,372 | +13.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $98,729 | +13.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $117,402 | +13.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $138,734 | +13.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Lansing, MI | Lansing pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $72,930 | $77,318 (+26.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $97,120 | $102,964 (−23.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $79,210 | $83,976 (−1.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $84,320 | $89,394 (−7.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.