$80K in Colorado Springs = $70,737 in Birmingham

Your $80K salary in Colorado Springs (COL 95) has the same purchasing power as $70,737 in Birmingham (COL 84). Birmingham is cheaper โ€” your money goes 12% further there.

$80K in Colorado Springs, CO
$4,763/mo take-home
Rent: $1,500/mo (31% of take-home)
Manageable
$70,737/yr in Birmingham, AL
$4,176/mo take-home
Rent: $1,200/mo (29% of take-home)
Manageable

Budget breakdown โ€” $80K in both cities

What $80K actually buys you in each city after taxes and core expenses.

Expense
Colorado Springs
$80K
Birmingham
$80K (same salary)
Monthly take-home$4,763$4,723
1BR rent$1,500$1,200
Groceries$372$357
Transport$55$40
Utilities$145$175
Internet$65$58
Left after essentials$2,626/month$2,893/month
To match your Colorado Springs purchasing power in Birmingham, you'd need to earn $70,737/year (12% less than $80K). At that salary, you'd have $2,346/mo left after essentials โ€” vs $2,626/mo in Colorado Springs.

Frequently asked questions

What is $80K in Colorado Springs equivalent to in Birmingham?

$80K in Colorado Springs (COL index 95) has the same purchasing power as $70,737 in Birmingham (COL index 84). That's 12% less than your current salary.

If I move from Colorado Springs to Birmingham keeping my $80K salary, will I be better off?

Yes. If you keep earning $80K after moving to Birmingham, you'd have $267 more per month after core expenses โ€” because Birmingham is cheaper than Colorado Springs.

How is the salary equivalent calculated?

The equivalent salary is calculated by multiplying your current salary by the ratio of the two cities' overall cost of living indices: $80K ร— (84 รท 95) = $70,737. This adjusts for differences in housing, food, transport, and general cost of living.

Equivalency uses overall COL index ratio. Take-home uses simplified federal/state brackets. Zillow ยท BLS ยท Numbeo ยท Q1 2026 ยท For general guidance only