City profile
Phoenix, AZ cost of living
AZ · BEA RPP 103.316
2024 overall RPP
103.316
US = 100
2024 housing-rent RPP
121.236
Housing component
2024 goods RPP
95.024
Goods component
2-BR FMR (HUD)
$1,734/mo
FY2027 FMR
Where Phoenix, AZ sits in the verified metro set
RPP rank
#20 of 67
+3.3 vs U.S. average
Vs median metro
+3.8
median RPP 99.5
2-BR rent rank
#31 of 67
+45/mo vs median verified metro
RPP ranks use only verified ReloMath metro records. Sources: BEA MARPP 2024 (all items, housing, goods, other services); HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent; reviewed 2026-10-04. These are historical area benchmarks, not current neighborhood prices. HUD FMR is a 40th-percentile gross-rent benchmark, not median rent. BEA metro and HUD rent-area boundaries can differ. BEA: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ (Metropolitan Statistical Area) (code 38060). HUD: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA (code METRO38060M38060); counties or county equivalents: Maricopa County, Pinal County. The official files were retrieved 2026-10-04.
Who’s moving in and out of Phoenix, AZ
IRS tax-return migration · 2022-2023Cost of living is only half the relocation question. The other half is which way people are actually voting with their feet, straight from IRS tax-return migration for the Phoenix, AZ metro.
Moved in
134,148
people · 81,580 households
Moved out
112,930
people · 68,388 households
Net
+21,218
net gain of residents
Net migration rank
#4 of 65
among IRS-covered ReloMath metros
Vs median net flow
+20,847
median +371 people
Largest flow share
5% in / 5% out
top named county shares
Where new residents came from
- Pima County, AZ 6,471
- Los Angeles County, CA 6,462
- San Diego County, CA 4,382
- Orange County, CA 3,290
- Riverside County, CA 3,121
Where residents moved to
- Pima County, AZ 5,622
- Yavapai County, AZ 4,171
- Los Angeles County, CA 3,295
- San Diego County, CA 2,787
- Clark County, NV 2,367
Counts are IRS tax filers (returns ≈ households, individuals ≈ exemptions) who changed address between 2022-2023. Flows too small for IRS to disclose are grouped and excluded from the named lists. Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration data ↗, mapped to metros via the U.S. Census CBSA delineation.
What salary do you need in Phoenix, AZ?
Historical BEA 2024 salary illustration relative to the U.S. average (RPP 100), before tax and household adjustments. Housing is already included in overall RPP.
| In US-average city | You need in Phoenix, AZ | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $51,658 | $50,000 x (103.316/100) |
| $75,000 | $77,487 | $75,000 x (103.316/100) |
| $100,000 | $103,316 | $100,000 x (103.316/100) |
| $125,000 | $129,145 | $125,000 x (103.316/100) |
| $150,000 | $154,974 | $150,000 x (103.316/100) |
| $200,000 | $206,632 | $200,000 x (103.316/100) |
Salary illustrations use BEA 2024 overall Regional Price Parities (RPP) only, before tax and household-specific adjustments. Overall RPP already includes housing. HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent is a separate historical gross-rent benchmark, not a current lease or median rent. Do not add rent to the RPP salary figure. Your lease and moving quote belong in a separate budget. Not financial advice.
Step 2: what will the move itself cost?
The historical salary illustration is separate from moving payments. Use an actual mover quote and lease terms in your budget summary.
State income tax note
Income tax and payroll deductions are not calculated. Obtain take-home estimates for your actual work and home addresses.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Phoenix, AZ?
- In the historical BEA 2024 benchmark, Phoenix, AZ has an overall Regional Price Parity of 103.316 (US average = 100). Its overall price level is 3.3% higher than the national average for that year.
- What salary do I need to live in Phoenix, AZ?
- If you earn $100,000 in a US-average city (RPP 100), the BEA 2024 RPP illustration is approximately $103,316 in Phoenix, AZ, before tax and household adjustments.
- What historical rent benchmark is shown for Phoenix, AZ?
- The historical HUD Fair Market Rent benchmark for a 2-bedroom associated with Phoenix, AZ is $1,734 per month as of FY2027.
- Are people moving to or away from Phoenix, AZ?
- Based on IRS tax-return migration data for 2022-2023, about 134,148 people moved into the Phoenix, AZ metro and 112,930 moved out — a net gain of roughly 21,218 residents. The largest single source of new residents was Pima County, AZ.
Curated nearby & similar cities
Similar verified metros by RPP
These links are chosen by data proximity: closest overall RPP to Phoenix, AZ, with HUD 2-BR rent as a tie-breaker.
Curated cost-of-living comparisons for Phoenix, AZ
Side-by-side cost of living and the equivalent salary you'd need — pick a destination.
Check published data changes
Review dated source notices for tracked metros alongside Phoenix, AZ's historical benchmarks. Change-log entries do not automatically refresh the BEA 2024 or HUD FY2027 values shown here.
View cost-of-living change log