Question 1

Is Chicago or Colorado Springs cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Colorado Springs, CO is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $156/month less than in Chicago, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,781/mo in Chicago versus $1,735/mo in Colorado Springs.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Chicago vs Colorado Springs?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $77,500/year before tax in Chicago, IL and $72,500/year in Colorado Springs, CO — a difference of about $5,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Chicago or Colorado Springs cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Chicago — which reverses the single-person answer. A four-person household runs about $7,504/month in Chicago and $7,542/month in Colorado Springs. Rent scales to household size using each city's own bedroom spread, and that spread is much steeper in some markets than others, so the cheaper city can differ by household.

Question 4

Should I move to Chicago or Colorado Springs?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Colorado Springs costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	Chicago62	Colorado Springs59
Est. monthly cost (single)	$4,110	$3,954
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$7,504	$7,542
Salary for comfort	$77,500/yr	$72,500/yr
Typical rent	$1,781	$1,735
Median home value	$315,200	$420,700
Median household income	$75,134	$83,198
Unemployment	5.4%	3.7%
Housing score	54	55
Jobs score	7	45
Safety score	66	32
Climate score	92	85
Amenities score	73	45
Population	2.7M	483.1K
Summer high / winter low	83° / 20°	85° / 18°

Chicago, IL vs Colorado Springs, CO