City comparison
Aurora, CO is about 60 miles (90 km) from Colorado Springs, CO in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 70 miles, or about 1 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Aurora, CO to Colorado Springs, CO takes about 7 min, covering roughly 60 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Colorado Springs has a population of 479,612, vs 387,349 in Aurora — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Colorado Springs covers about 200 sq mi vs 165 sq mi for Aurora.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Aurora | Colorado Springs | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,651/mo | $1,464/mo | 12.8% higher in Aurora |
| Median home value | $409,700 | $383,000 | 7.0% higher in Aurora |
| Median household income | $78,685 | $79,026 | 0.4% higher in Colorado Springs |
| Groceries index | 101.2 | 96.8 | 4.6% higher in Aurora |
| Utilities index | 91.2 | 87.0 | 4.9% higher in Aurora |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 100.3 | ≈ equal (Colorado Springs slightly higher) |
| Healthcare index | 99.9 | 100.2 | ≈ equal (Colorado Springs slightly higher) |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Aurora, you'd need $88,702 in Colorado Springs to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Colorado Springs, CO is about 11.3% cheaper overall than Aurora, CO, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% higher in Aurora than in Colorado Springs. If you earn $80,000 in Aurora, you'd need about $70,961 in Colorado Springs to keep the same standard of living.