City comparison
Colorado Springs, CO vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 10.2% higher than in Colorado Springs, CO. Someone earning $100,000 in Colorado Springs, CO would need about $110,200 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,464 in Colorado Springs, CO. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 23% in Colorado Springs, CO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,378 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Colorado Springs, CO.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.7% moving from Colorado Springs, CO to Urban Honolulu, HI ($109,246 → $111,119), while prices change by +10.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.7% in real buying power.
- Colorado Springs, CO: price level 100.7 (about average)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (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 | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.7 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,182 in Urban Honolulu | $90,759 in Colorado Springs |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,464/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,488 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,692 (CO) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,710 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Colorado Springs, CO | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Colorado Springs, CO HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Colorado Springs, CO and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Colorado Springs | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.2 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.1 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 83.2 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 100.7 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Colorado Springs, CO → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,378/yr.
28 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Colorado Springs, CO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.2%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$2,378/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Colorado Springs, CO is in the Colorado Springs, CO pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Colorado Springs, CO to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Colorado Springs, CO | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Colorado Springs → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,351 | $64,438 | −7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,650 | $77,964 | −7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,870 | $93,445 | −7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,246 | $111,119 | −7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,096 | $131,310 | −7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Colorado Springs, CO | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Colorado Springs dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,140 | $73,080 | $66,327 (+8.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,280 | $120,230 | $109,119 (−18.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,000 | $74,990 | $68,060 (−19.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,140 | $139,260 | $126,391 (+31.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.