Cost of Living: Mesa, AZ vs Phoenix, AZ

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,370/mo in Mesa, AZ versus $4,370/mo in Phoenix, AZ. In the model, rent is about 21.53% of gross in Mesa, AZ versus 21.24% in Phoenix, AZ, so Phoenix, AZ tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Mesa, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Phoenix, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Mesa, AZ
21.53%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Phoenix, AZ
21.24%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Mesa, AZ: 98.8 (U.S. = 100) · Phoenix, AZ: 102.4 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Mesa, AZ: $1,404/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Phoenix, AZ: $1,385/mo

Median rent in Mesa, AZ is $19/mo higher than in Phoenix, AZ.

Median Home Price

Mesa, AZ: $364,300 · Phoenix, AZ: $381,900

Median home price in Phoenix, AZ is $17,600 higher than in Mesa, AZ.

Median Household Income

Mesa, AZ: $78,779 · Phoenix, AZ: $77,041

Mesa, AZ has a higher median household income than Phoenix, AZ by $1,738.

Mesa, AZ overview · Phoenix, AZ overview · Popular comparisons