City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Colorado Springs, CO are 12.9% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $112,900 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 $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Colorado Springs, CO and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $263 a year higher in Tulsa, OK 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 Tulsa, OK ($109,246 → $106,437), while prices change by −11.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.0% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Colorado Springs, CO | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,588 in Tulsa | $112,883 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.9%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$263/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$263/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Colorado Springs → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $61,722 | +10.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $74,678 | +10.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $89,508 | +10.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $106,437 | +10.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $125,776 | +10.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $48,220 | $54,432 (−11.0%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $108,730 | $122,737 (−8.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $81,320 | $91,796 (+8.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $84,790 | $95,713 (−0.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.