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Chicago · Registered nurse · $98,500 · One adult, renting a 1-bedroom
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Boulder skyline
Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA. CC BY-SA 2.0. Photo source · License
Fort Collins skyline
Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA. CC BY-SA 2.0. Photo source · License

Boulder vs Fort Collins

$96/mo less in Fort Collins

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical month
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BoulderFort CollinsAbout 39 miles apart, close enough to drive.

  • Fort Collins costs you more
  • Rent under 30% of pay
  • 253 sunny days

Same paycheck, two cities. $2,395/mo in Fort Collins. $2,491/mo in Boulder. −$1,152 a year.

Boulder

$2,491

left each month

Fort Collins

$2,395

−$96 vs Boulder

Compare

Same paycheck, another city.

Fort Collins wins 1 of 4Boulder 3 · ties 0
$5,891Take-home · Boulder$5,737
$1,647Rent · Fort Collins$1,473
$1,753Other bills · Boulder$1,869
$2,491Left over · Boulder$2,395

Next

In 2022-2023, 984 households moved Boulder → Fort Collins (avg AGI $89,409). 742 went the other way. The whole move →

−$96 / mo

Alabama: $2,168 left in a typical monthArizona: $2,126 left in a typical monthArkansas: $2,400 left in a typical monthCalifornia: $1,645 left in a typical monthColorado: $2,458 left in a typical monthConnecticut: $2,294 left in a typical monthDelaware: $1,980 left in a typical monthDistrict of Columbia: $2,913 left in a typical monthFlorida: $2,204 left in a typical monthGeorgia: $1,988 left in a typical monthIdaho: $2,056 left in a typical monthIllinois: $2,569 left in a typical monthIndiana: $2,407 left in a typical monthIowa: $2,838 left in a typical monthKansas: $2,391 left in a typical monthKentucky: $2,312 left in a typical monthLouisiana: $2,486 left in a typical monthMaine: $1,949 left in a typical monthMaryland: $2,359 left in a typical monthMassachusetts: $2,076 left in a typical monthMichigan: $2,360 left in a typical monthMinnesota: $2,600 left in a typical monthMississippi: $2,011 left in a typical monthMissouri: $2,581 left in a typical monthMontana: $2,222 left in a typical monthNebraska: $2,541 left in a typical monthNevada: $2,296 left in a typical monthNew Hampshire: $2,794 left in a typical monthNew Jersey: $1,864 left in a typical monthNew Mexico: $2,037 left in a typical monthNew York: $2,320 left in a typical monthNorth Carolina: $2,194 left in a typical monthNorth Dakota: $3,238 left in a typical monthOhio: $2,583 left in a typical monthOklahoma: $2,455 left in a typical monthOregon: $1,624 left in a typical monthPennsylvania: $2,380 left in a typical monthRhode Island: $2,094 left in a typical monthSouth Carolina: $2,108 left in a typical monthSouth Dakota: $2,780 left in a typical monthTennessee: $2,530 left in a typical monthTexas: $2,620 left in a typical monthUtah: $1,822 left in a typical monthVermont: $2,118 left in a typical monthVirginia: $2,326 left in a typical monthWashington: $2,473 left in a typical monthWest Virginia: $2,277 left in a typical monthWisconsin: $2,642 left in a typical monthWyoming: $2,849 left in a typical monthBoulderFort Collins
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Fort Collins · this breakdownBoulder · home
See full breakdown
Monthly and annual budget comparison between Boulder, CO and Fort Collins, CO
Per monthBoulderFort CollinsDifference
Gross pay$7,792$7,558−$234
Income and payroll tax$1,901$1,821−$80
Take-home pay$5,891$5,737−$154
Rent$1,647$1,473−$174
Getting around$342$459+$117
Groceries$389$389$0
Healthcare$438$438$0
Utilities$243$243$0
Everything else$341$341$0
Left over$2,491$2,395−$96

Salary to match Boulder

$92,500

Gross pay in Fort Collins that leaves the same amount as $93,500 in Boulder.

Tax difference

+$124

A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 24.4% in Boulder, 24.1% in Fort Collins.

More about Fort Collins

Boulder, CO in full

A flat 4.4% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,961 and 250 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.

Fort Collins, CO in full

A flat 4.4% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,753 and 253 sunny days; commutes average 23 minutes.

The other way

Start in Fort Collins.

Fort Collins → Boulder →

Questions

Is the cost of living lower in Fort Collins than Boulder?

For one adult in a one-bedroom, Fort Collins leaves about $96 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,647 in Boulder and $1,473 in Fort Collins.

Does Fort Collins have state income tax?

Fort Collins is in Colorado, which taxes wage income.

What changes if you move from Boulder to Fort Collins?

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 Boulder and Fort Collins 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.