$40K in Colorado Springs = $37,053 in Louisville

Your $40K salary in Colorado Springs (COL 95) has the same purchasing power as $37,053 in Louisville (COL 88). Louisville is cheaper โ€” your money goes 7% further there.

$40K in Colorado Springs, CO
$2,582/mo take-home
Rent: $1,500/mo (58% of take-home)
Difficult
$37,053/yr in Louisville, KY
$2,404/mo take-home
Rent: $1,300/mo (54% of take-home)
Difficult

Budget breakdown โ€” $40K in both cities

What $40K actually buys you in each city after taxes and core expenses.

Expense
Colorado Springs
$40K
Louisville
$40K (same salary)
Monthly take-home$2,582$2,595
1BR rent$1,500$1,300
Groceries$372$361
Transport$55$60
Utilities$145$162
Internet$65$60
Left after essentials$445/month$652/month
To match your Colorado Springs purchasing power in Louisville, you'd need to earn $37,053/year (7% less than $40K). At that salary, you'd have $461/mo left after essentials โ€” vs $445/mo in Colorado Springs.

Frequently asked questions

What is $40K in Colorado Springs equivalent to in Louisville?

$40K in Colorado Springs (COL index 95) has the same purchasing power as $37,053 in Louisville (COL index 88). That's 7% less than your current salary.

If I move from Colorado Springs to Louisville keeping my $40K salary, will I be better off?

Yes. If you keep earning $40K after moving to Louisville, you'd have $207 more per month after core expenses โ€” because Louisville 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: $40K ร— (88 รท 95) = $37,053. 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