Aurora vs Colorado Springs Cost of Living
Colorado Springs is approximately 5.7% cheaper than Aurora. See salary equivalence, taxes, and side-by-side breakdown.
Aurora, CO
Colorado Springs, CO
| Salary in Aurora | Equivalent in Colorado Springs | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $47,100 | -$2,900 (-5.8%) |
| $75,000 | $70,700 | -$4,300 (-5.7%) |
| $100,000 | $94,300 | -$5,700 (-5.7%) |
| $150,000 | $141,400 | -$8,600 (-5.7%) |
| $200,000 | $188,600 | -$11,400 (-5.7%) |
Colorado Springs costs about 6% less than Aurora overall, which means $94,286 in Colorado Springs buys roughly what $100,000 buys in Aurora.
Housing does most of the damage
Almost the entire gap between two cities is shelter. Tradable goods cost roughly the same everywhere; land does not. A one-bedroom runs about $1,450 a month in Aurora and $1,350 in Colorado Springs — $100 a month apart, or $1,200 a year.
Getting around
Aurora is served by limited transit; Colorado Springs is effectively car-dependent.
Work, weather, and what else is different
Aurora is a large metro of about 3.0M and growing steadily; Colorado Springs is a smaller metro of about 0.8M and growing steadily.
Both metros have real employment in healthcare, which matters if you want to move without changing careers — your experience is legible to employers in both. Aurora also leans on aerospace/defense and logistics, with employers like Buckley Space Force Base and UCHealth/Anschutz Medical Campus. Colorado Springs leans on defense/aerospace and tourism, with U.S. Air Force Academy and Peterson Space Force Base.
The part spreadsheets leave out. Aurora: Semi-arid high plains: January highs near 45°F/lows 19°F, July highs near 88°F/lows 59°F, low humidity with over 300 sunny days. Colorado Springs: Semi-arid at high altitude (6,035 ft): January highs near 43°F/lows 18°F, July highs near 85°F/lows 57°F, low humidity, frequent sun.
Part of the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood MSA but with meaningfully lower housing costs than Denver proper; Colorado's flat state income tax is 4.4% with no city add-on (Denver-area cities do levy small flat monthly occupational taxes, not percentage income tax). Home to five major military installations, giving it one of the highest concentrations of active-duty and defense-contractor employment per capita of any US metro.
Cost indexes derive from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities; rent, home prices and local tax rates are compiled from market and municipal sources. How these are compiled and updated.
Related tools
Paycheck calculator — take-home after federal, state and local tax. Salary calculator — hourly and annual conversion. Mortgage calculator — what a home in either metro actually costs monthly. Guide: the true cost of relocating.