Route comparison
Seattle, WA vs Phoenix, AZ: Cost of Living
Compare the cost of living between Seattle, WA and Phoenix, AZ. See the equivalent salary and median rent powered by BLS Regional Price Parities.
Latest official changes
Data updates affecting this route
These rows are official-source planning signals with data period and last-checked dates. They do not automatically update the current RPP/FMR values on this page until the source dataset is flipped.
Seattle, WA
WA
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 113.7
- Housing RPP
- 154.8
- Goods RPP
- 116.2
- 2-BR median rent
- $2,645/mo
Washington has no state income tax. Sales tax 6.5%+local up to 10.5%.
Phoenix, AZ
AZ
- Overall RPP (US=100)
- 103.7
- Housing RPP
- 122.9
- Goods RPP
- 98.3
- 2-BR median rent
- $1,877/mo
Arizona income tax 2.5% flat rate (since 2023). No city income tax.
Equivalent salary
Phoenix, AZ is cheaper than Seattle, WA by about 8.8% (RPP 113.7 to 103.7).
$60,000 in Seattle, WA
-> $54,723
in Phoenix, AZ
$100,000 in Seattle, WA
-> $91,205
in Phoenix, AZ
$150,000 in Seattle, WA
-> $136,807
in Phoenix, AZ
This tool provides estimates only. Equivalent-salary figures are derived from BLS Regional Price Parities (RPP) and HUD Fair Market Rents — they are averages, not guarantees. Actual cost of living varies by neighborhood, lifestyle, and individual circumstances. Not financial advice.
Migration signal: Seattle, WA vs Phoenix, AZ
IRS tax-return migration · 2021-2022Seattle, WA
- Net people
- −28,174
- Net rank
- #58 of 65
- Top origin share
- 3%
- Top destination share
- 3%
Largest source: Los Angeles County, CA. Largest destination: Thurston County, WA.
Phoenix, AZ
- Net people
- +20,892
- Net rank
- #8 of 65
- Top origin share
- 4%
- Top destination share
- 3%
Largest source: Los Angeles County, CA. Largest destination: Pima County, AZ.
Rent delta: Phoenix, AZ is $768/mo lower for HUD FY2024 2-BR FMR than Seattle, WA. Housing RPP moves from 154.8 to 122.9.
Migration figures are derived from IRS SOI county-to-county migration data for 2021-2022, mapped to metros via Census CBSA delineation. Small county-to-county flows are IRS-suppressed, so per-metro totals are lower bounds. Source: IRS SOI migration data.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Phoenix, AZ cheaper or more expensive than Seattle, WA?
- Phoenix, AZ (RPP 103.7) is cheaper than Seattle, WA (RPP 113.7) by about 8.8%.
- What salary do I need in Phoenix, AZ if I earn $100,000 in Seattle, WA?
- You would need approximately $91,205 in Phoenix, AZ to maintain the same purchasing power as $100,000 in Seattle, WA. Formula: $100,000 x (103.7 / 113.7).
- Which metro had stronger net migration, Seattle, WA or Phoenix, AZ?
- For 2021-2022, Seattle, WA had a net loss of 28,174 people, while Phoenix, AZ had a net gain of 20,892 people. IRS small-flow suppression means these are lower-bound research signals, not complete population-change totals.