Cost of Living: Phoenix, AZ vs Tucson, AZ

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,370/mo in Phoenix, AZ versus $4,370/mo in Tucson, AZ. In the model, rent is about 21.24% of gross in Phoenix, AZ versus 16.82% in Tucson, AZ, so Tucson, AZ tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Phoenix, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Tucson, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Phoenix, AZ
21.24%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Tucson, AZ
16.82%
COLI tier: mid-range

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

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Phoenix, AZ: 102.4 (U.S. = 100) · Tucson, AZ: 94.2 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Phoenix, AZ: $1,385/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Tucson, AZ: $1,097/mo

Median rent in Phoenix, AZ is $288/mo higher than in Tucson, AZ.

Median Home Price

Phoenix, AZ: $381,900 · Tucson, AZ: $286,900

Median home price in Phoenix, AZ is $95,000 higher than in Tucson, AZ.

Median Household Income

Phoenix, AZ: $77,041 · Tucson, AZ: $67,929

Phoenix, AZ has a higher median household income than Tucson, AZ by $9,112.

Phoenix, AZ overview · Tucson, AZ overview · Popular comparisons