Moving to Oregon from Arizona
What to Expect
Considering a move from Arizona to Oregon? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Arizona to Oregon, you would find that Oregon is 0.5% cheaper than Arizona. A $75,000 salary in Arizona would need to be roughly $72,171 in Oregon to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Salem averages 64°F vs 87°F in Phoenix, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Arizona and Oregon.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $72,171
To maintain the same standard of living in Oregon
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 5.8% less
Groceries
pay 2.9% more
Transportation
pay 7.8% more
Housing
pay 14.4% less
Childcare
pay 7.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.7% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Oregon compared to Arizona.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Arizona generally does better on safety, though Oregon leads in violent crime rate.
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
Oregon generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arizona leads in adult smoking rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Arizona performs better than Oregon across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Oregon performs significantly better than Arizona across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Oregon generally does better on employment & economy, though Arizona leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Oregon performs significantly better than Arizona across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Phoenix | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) | 52°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) | 68°/45°F (20°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) | 80°/51°F (27°/11°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 54°/38°F (12°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Phoenix | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) | 48°/35°F (8.7°/1.5°C) |
| Feb | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) | 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.4°C) |
| Mar | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) | 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.9°C) |
| Apr | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) | 61°/40°F (16.2°/4.2°C) |
| May | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) | 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.1°C) |
| Jun | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.6°C) |
| Jul | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) | 82°/53°F (27.8°/11.7°C) |
| Aug | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) | 82°/53°F (28.0°/11.6°C) |
| Sep | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) | 77°/48°F (24.9°/9.1°C) |
| Oct | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) | 64°/42°F (17.8°/5.7°C) |
| Nov | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) | 53°/38°F (11.4°/3.6°C) |
| Dec | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) | 46°/34°F (7.9°/1.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Oregon than Arizona?
On average Oregon is about 4% less expensive than Arizona, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Oregon?
Budget about $18,043 for 3 months in Oregon (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Oregon safe?
Arizona generally does better on safety, though Oregon leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Oregon compared to Arizona?
Oregon generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arizona leads in adult smoking rate.
What's the weather like in Oregon compared to Arizona?
The average high temperature in Salem is 64°F, compared to 87°F in Phoenix. Salem receives around 39.7 in of rainfall per year, while Phoenix gets 8.2 in.
