Question 1

Is Colorado Springs or Phoenix cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Colorado Springs, CO is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $217/month less than in Phoenix, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $1,735/mo in Colorado Springs versus $1,839/mo in Phoenix.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Colorado Springs vs Phoenix?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $72,500/year before tax in Colorado Springs, CO and $75,500/year in Phoenix, AZ — a difference of about $3,000. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Colorado Springs or Phoenix cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Colorado Springs, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $7,542/month in Colorado Springs and $7,719/month in Phoenix, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to Colorado Springs or Phoenix?

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	Colorado Springs59	Phoenix62
Est. monthly cost (single)	$3,954	$4,171
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$7,542	$7,719
Salary for comfort	$72,500/yr	$75,500/yr
Typical rent	$1,735	$1,839
Median home value	$420,700	$381,900
Median household income	$83,198	$77,041
Unemployment	3.7%	4.0%
Housing score	55	44
Jobs score	45	37
Safety score	32	45
Climate score	85	72
Amenities score	45	92
Population	483.1K	1.6M
Summer high / winter low	85° / 18°	106° / 46°

Colorado Springs, CO vs Phoenix, AZ