City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Pittsburgh, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 6.4% higher than in Pittsburgh, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Pittsburgh, PA would need about $106,400 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 $1,077 in Pittsburgh, PA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 17% in Pittsburgh, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $622 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Pittsburgh, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Pittsburgh, PA ($109,246 → $110,047), while prices change by −6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.2% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Pittsburgh, PA: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Pittsburgh, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,006 in Pittsburgh | $106,376 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,077/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $49,650 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Pittsburgh, PA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Pittsburgh, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 72.0 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 107.7 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Pittsburgh, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$622/yr.
89 Strong offer
Pittsburgh, PA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$622/yr.
50 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Pittsburgh, PA is in Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Pittsburgh, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Pittsburgh, PA | Real change, Colorado Springs → Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $63,815 | +7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $77,211 | +7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $92,543 | +7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $110,047 | +7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $130,042 | +7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Pittsburgh, PA | Pittsburgh pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $76,550 | $81,431 (+33.2%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $124,500 | $132,438 (−1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $76,940 | $81,846 (−3.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $82,370 | $87,622 (−8.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.