Moving to Missouri from Arizona
What to Expect
Considering a move from Arizona to Missouri? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Arizona to Missouri, you would find that Missouri is 10.0% cheaper than Arizona. A $75,000 salary in Arizona would need to be roughly $67,500 in Missouri to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Kansas City averages 66°F vs 87°F in Phoenix, making it significantly cooler. Phoenix and Kansas City are about 1,050 mi apart.
Thinking of moving to Missouri? Get a shortlist of towns in Missouri that match your priorities: size, cost, taxes, safety, disaster risk, hospitals and transport. Find my towns →Is Missouri cheaper than Arizona?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 7.7% less
Groceries
pay 1.9% more
Transportation
pay 11.3% more
Housing
pay 25.8% less
Childcare
pay 2.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 9.2% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Missouri?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $67,500
To maintain the same standard of living in Missouri
Calculate with your salary →Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Missouri compared to Arizona.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Arizona performs better than Missouri across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Missouri leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Missouri performs significantly better than Arizona across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Arizona generally does better on infrastructure, though Missouri leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Arizona generally does better on employment & economy, though Missouri leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Arizona generally does better on family life, though Missouri leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Missouri vs Arizona
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Phoenix | Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) | 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) | 76°/57°F (24°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) | 86°/67°F (30°/20°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 55°/37°F (13°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Phoenix | Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) | 40°/22°F (4.2°/-5.3°C) |
| Feb | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) | 45°/26°F (7.0°/-3.2°C) |
| Mar | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) | 56°/36°F (13.4°/2.1°C) |
| Apr | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) | 67°/47°F (19.3°/8.1°C) |
| May | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) | 76°/57°F (24.4°/13.9°C) |
| Jun | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) | 85°/67°F (29.4°/19.3°C) |
| Jul | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) | 90°/72°F (32.3°/22.2°C) |
| Aug | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) | 89°/70°F (31.4°/21.2°C) |
| Sep | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) | 80°/60°F (26.7°/15.8°C) |
| Oct | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) | 68°/49°F (19.9°/9.4°C) |
| Nov | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) | 54°/37°F (12.3°/2.6°C) |
| Dec | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) | 42°/26°F (5.4°/-3.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Missouri than Arizona?
On average Missouri is about 10% less expensive than Arizona, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Missouri?
Budget about $16,875 for 3 months in Missouri (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Missouri safe?
Arizona performs better than Missouri across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Missouri compared to Arizona?
Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Missouri leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Missouri compared to Arizona?
The average high temperature in Kansas City is 66°F, compared to 87°F in Phoenix. Kansas City receives around 39.1 in of rainfall per year, while Phoenix gets 8.2 in.
