El Paso County · Colorado
Colorado Springs cost of living (CO)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Colorado Springs, CO, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Colorado Springs costs in line with the national average — all-items price level 100.7, rank 48 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $100,707 here. Housing is the reason, at 116.2.
- All items
- 100.7US average = 100
- Housing
- 116.216.2% above the national average
- Goods
- 96.13.9% below the national average
- Other services
- 99.8in line with the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 96.1 | -3.9% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 116.2 | +16.2% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 83.2 | -16.8% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 99.8 | -0.2% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
Reading the Colorado Springs price level
What the 100.7 figure actually means for a household here.
Colorado Springs prices sit 0.7% above the US average — an all-items parity of 100.7, rank 48 of 94 covered metros. Effectively the national average. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Housing drives it: 116.2, 16.2% above average. Utilities pull the other way at 83.2. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 33.0 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Colorado Springs do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $100,707 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $79,575 median household income in Colorado Springs is worth $79,016 in national-average dollars, 0.6% above the $78,538 US median. Local pay more than covers the local price level.
Parities are published for Colorado Springs, CO as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
What your salary is worth in Colorado Springs, CO
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (100.7 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $79,016
- Needed to match US average
- $80,138
- Monthly difference
- $47
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$79,575 median household income in Colorado Springs is worth $79,016 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 100.7.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is Colorado Springs expensive?
- Yes — 0.7% above the US average, rank 48 of 94 covered metros. housing is the component furthest from average at 116.2.
- What salary do you need to live in Colorado Springs, CO?
- $100,707 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $79,575, worth $79,016 after adjusting for the 100.7 price level.
- Why is the cost of living high in Colorado Springs?
- Housing at 116.2 versus utilities at 83.2. A 33.0-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More Colorado Springs data
Other Colorado Springs datasets on this site.
- Colorado Springs population and income
- Colorado Springs sales tax rate
- Colorado Springs property tax
- Colorado Springs home values and rent
- Colorado Springs crime rates
- Colorado Springs public schools
- Colorado Springs weather normals
- Colorado Springs commute times
- Colorado Springs jobs and wages
Statewide: Colorado cities · Colorado ZIP codes · Colorado sales tax · Colorado counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Colorado Springs, CO. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.