City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Salinas, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salinas, CA are 8.3% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $108,300 in Salinas, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,232 a month in Salinas, CA versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 36% of take-home pay in Salinas, CA and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,379 a year higher in Salinas, CA than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +21.8% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Salinas, CA ($109,246 → $133,060), while prices change by +8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.5% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Salinas, CA: price level 109.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Salinas, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 109.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,276 in Salinas | $92,356 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $2,232/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 36% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $47,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Salinas, CA MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Salinas, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Salinas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 145.7 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 154.2 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 109.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Salinas, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 36% of take-home; state tax +$1,379/yr.
28 Weak offer
Salinas, CA → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$1,379/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Salinas, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Salinas, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Salinas, CA | Real change, Colorado Springs → Salinas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $77,161 | +12.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $93,358 | +12.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $111,896 | +12.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $133,060 | +12.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $157,236 | +12.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Salinas, CA | Salinas pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $100,220 | $92,559 (+51.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $135,160 | $124,829 (−7.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $83,810 | $77,404 (−8.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $134,910 | $124,598 (+29.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.