Moving to Arizona from Indiana
What to Expect
Considering a move from Indiana to Arizona? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Indiana to Arizona, you would find that Arizona is 10.1% more expensive than Indiana. A $75,000 salary in Indiana would need to be roughly $83,397 in Arizona to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Phoenix averages 87°F vs 62°F in Indianapolis, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Indiana and Arizona.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $83,397
To maintain the same standard of living in Arizona
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 17.3% more
Groceries
pay 8.5% more
Transportation
pay 13.8% more
Housing
pay 29.1% more
Childcare
pay 18.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.5% 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%).
On average, cities in Arizona cost about 18% more than cities in Indiana.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Arizona compared to Indiana.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Indiana performs better than Arizona 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 Indiana leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Indiana performs better than Arizona across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Indiana generally does better on infrastructure, though Arizona leads in internet access.
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
Indiana generally does better on employment & economy, though Arizona leads in median household income.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Arizona performs significantly better than Indiana 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 | Indianapolis | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 42°/26°F (6°/-3°C) | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/53°F (22°/12°C) | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/35°F (11°/2°C) | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Indianapolis | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/21°F (1.7°/-6.1°C) | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) |
| Feb | 40°/24°F (4.4°/-4.4°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.8°C) | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) |
| Apr | 63°/44°F (17.1°/6.4°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) |
| May | 72°/53°F (22.5°/11.7°C) | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) |
| Jun | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) |
| Jul | 84°/67°F (28.8°/19.2°C) | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) |
| Aug | 83°/65°F (28.4°/18.3°C) | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) |
| Sep | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.9°C) | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 64°/45°F (18.0°/7.3°C) | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) |
| Nov | 52°/36°F (11.0°/2.3°C) | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) |
| Dec | 38°/25°F (3.6°/-3.9°C) | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arizona than Indiana?
On average Arizona is around 11% pricier than Indiana, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Arizona?
Budget about $20,849 for 3 months in Arizona (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Arizona safe?
Indiana performs better than Arizona across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Arizona compared to Indiana?
Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Indiana leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Arizona compared to Indiana?
The average high temperature in Phoenix is 87°F, compared to 62°F in Indianapolis. Phoenix receives around 8.2 in of rainfall per year, while Indianapolis gets 40.8 in.
