Moving to Tennessee from Arizona
What to Expect
Considering a move from Arizona to Tennessee? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Arizona to Tennessee, you would find that Tennessee is 1.7% more expensive than Arizona. A $75,000 salary in Arizona would need to be roughly $73,797 in Tennessee to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Nashville averages 70°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 Tennessee.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $73,797
To maintain the same standard of living in Tennessee
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.6% less
Groceries
pay 6.4% more
Transportation
pay 8.8% less
Housing
pay 11.4% less
Childcare
pay 22.4% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.1% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Tennessee compared to Arizona.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Arizona performs better than Tennessee 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 Tennessee leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Tennessee generally does better on what about housing?, though Arizona leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Arizona performs better than Tennessee 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
Arizona generally does better on employment & economy, though Tennessee 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 performs better than Tennessee 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 | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) | 53°/33°F (12°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) | 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) | 87°/66°F (30°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 60°/40°F (16°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Phoenix | Nashville |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) | 47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C) |
| Feb | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) | 52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C) |
| Mar | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) | 61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C) |
| Apr | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) | 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C) |
| May | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) | 78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C) |
| Jun | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) | 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C) |
| Jul | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) | 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) |
| Aug | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) | 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C) |
| Sep | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) | 82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C) |
| Oct | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C) |
| Nov | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) | 60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C) |
| Dec | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) | 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.4°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Tennessee than Arizona?
Tennessee and Arizona are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Tennessee?
Budget about $18,449 for 3 months in Tennessee (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Tennessee safe?
Arizona performs better than Tennessee across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Tennessee compared to Arizona?
Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Tennessee leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Tennessee compared to Arizona?
The average high temperature in Nashville is 70°F, compared to 87°F in Phoenix. Nashville receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Phoenix gets 8.2 in.
