City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 3.9% higher than in Tucson, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Tucson, AZ would need about $103,900 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 $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,400 a year higher in Colorado Springs, CO than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.7% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Tucson, AZ ($109,246 → $108,455), while prices change by −3.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.2% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,216 in Tucson | $103,933 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Tucson, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,400/yr.
81 Strong offer
Tucson, AZ → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$1,400/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Colorado Springs → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $62,893 | +3.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $76,095 | +3.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $91,205 | +3.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $108,455 | +3.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $128,162 | +3.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $47,220 | $49,077 (−19.7%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $123,710 | $128,576 (−4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $76,320 | $79,322 (−6.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $94,110 | $97,811 (+1.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.