City comparison
Boulder, CO is about 80 miles (125 km) from Colorado Springs, CO in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 100 miles, or about 1 h 45 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 Boulder, CO to Colorado Springs, CO takes about 10 min, covering roughly 80 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 106,598 in Boulder — about 4.5× larger by population. By land area, Colorado Springs covers about 200 sq mi vs 27 sq mi for Boulder.
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 | Boulder | Colorado Springs | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,853/mo | $1,464/mo | 26.6% higher in Boulder |
| Median home value | $919,700 | $383,000 | 140.1% higher in Boulder |
| Median household income | $80,243 | $79,026 | 1.5% higher in Boulder |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 96.8 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 86.5 | 87.0 | ≈ equal (Colorado Springs slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 100.3 | 100.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 100.2 | 100.2 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Boulder, you'd need $86,201 in Colorado Springs to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Colorado Springs, CO is about 13.8% cheaper overall than Boulder, CO, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 34% higher in Boulder than in Colorado Springs. If you earn $80,000 in Boulder, you'd need about $68,961 in Colorado Springs to keep the same standard of living.