Cost of Living: Irvine, CA vs Phoenix, AZ

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Irvine, CA versus $4,370/mo in Phoenix, AZ. In the model, rent is about 42.15% of gross in Irvine, CA versus 21.24% in Phoenix, AZ, so Phoenix, AZ tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Irvine, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Phoenix, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Irvine, CA
42.15%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Phoenix, AZ
21.24%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Irvine, CA and Phoenix, AZ.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Phoenix, AZ
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Phoenix, AZ
  • Lower home prices: Phoenix, AZ
  • Higher median household income: Irvine, CA

Cost of Living Index

Irvine, CA: 158.4 (U.S. = 100) · Phoenix, AZ: 102.4 (U.S. = 100)

Phoenix, AZ has a lower cost-of-living index than Irvine, CA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Irvine, CA: $2,749/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Phoenix, AZ: $1,385/mo

Median rent in Irvine, CA is $1,364/mo higher than in Phoenix, AZ.

Median Home Price

Irvine, CA: $1,115,400 · Phoenix, AZ: $381,900

Median home price in Irvine, CA is $733,500 higher than in Phoenix, AZ.

Median Household Income

Irvine, CA: $129,647 · Phoenix, AZ: $77,041

Irvine, CA has a higher median household income than Phoenix, AZ by $52,606.

Irvine, CA overview · Phoenix, AZ overview · Popular comparisons