

Chicago vs Colorado Springs
$80/mo less in Colorado Springs
ChicagoColorado SpringsAbout 906 miles apart, a flight.
- Colorado Springs costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 243 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,346/mo in Colorado Springs. $2,426/mo in Chicago. −$960 a year.
Chicago
$2,426
left each month
Colorado Springs
$2,346
−$80 vs Chicago
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 359 households moved Chicago → Colorado Springs (avg AGI $88,811). 216 went the other way. The whole move →
−$80 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Chicago | Colorado Springs | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,208 | $7,427 | −$782 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,130 | $1,776 | −$353 |
| Take-home pay | $6,079 | $5,650 | −$428 |
| Rent | $1,782 | $1,298 | −$484 |
| Getting around | $392 | $571 | +$179 |
| Groceries | $408 | $396 | −$12 |
| Healthcare | $459 | $446 | −$13 |
| Utilities | $255 | $248 | −$7 |
| Everything else | $357 | $347 | −$10 |
| Left over | $2,426 | $2,346 | −$80 |
Salary to match Chicago
$90,500
Gross pay in Colorado Springs that leaves the same amount as $98,500 in Chicago.
Tax difference
+$1,460
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 25.9% in Chicago, 23.9% in Colorado Springs.
More about Colorado Springs
Chicago, IL in full
World-class city amenities at Midwest home prices, funded by 2.1% property tax.
Colorado Springs, CO in full
Denver's mountains and sunshine, with the lowest property tax on this list.
The other way
Start in Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs → Chicago →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Colorado Springs than Chicago?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Colorado Springs leaves about $80 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,782 in Chicago and $1,298 in Colorado Springs.
Does Colorado Springs have state income tax?
Colorado Springs is in Colorado, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Chicago to Colorado Springs?
The paycheck is taxed in Colorado. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Chicago and Colorado Springs changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.