Moving to Arizona from Maryland
What to Expect
Considering a move from Maryland to Arizona? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Maryland to Arizona, you would find that Arizona is 9.4% cheaper than Maryland. A $75,000 salary in Maryland would need to be roughly $67,969 in Arizona to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Phoenix averages 87°F vs 68°F in Annapolis, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Maryland and Arizona.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $67,969
To maintain the same standard of living in Arizona
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 7.2% more
Groceries
pay 21.0% less
Transportation
pay 8.5% less
Housing
pay 16.2% more
Childcare
pay 46.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 7.6% 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.
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 7% less than cities in Maryland.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Arizona compared to Maryland.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Arizona performs significantly better than Maryland 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
Maryland performs better than Arizona across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Arizona generally does better on what about housing?, though Maryland leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Maryland generally does better on infrastructure, though Arizona 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
Maryland performs better than Arizona across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Maryland performs 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 | Annapolis | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/33°F (10°/0°C) | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/69°F (30°/20°C) | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 59°/42°F (15°/6°C) | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Annapolis | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°/29°F (6.9°/-1.6°C) | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) |
| Feb | 48°/31°F (9.0°/-0.5°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 57°/38°F (13.7°/3.5°C) | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) |
| Apr | 68°/47°F (20.1°/8.6°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) |
| May | 77°/57°F (25.0°/13.7°C) | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) |
| Jun | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.2°C) | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) |
| Jul | 89°/71°F (31.9°/21.9°C) | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) |
| Aug | 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.4°C) | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) |
| Sep | 81°/64°F (27.2°/17.6°C) | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 69°/52°F (20.7°/10.9°C) | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) |
| Nov | 59°/42°F (14.9°/5.3°C) | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) |
| Dec | 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.4°C) | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arizona than Maryland?
On average Arizona is about 9% less expensive than Maryland, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Arizona?
Budget about $16,992 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?
Arizona performs significantly better than Maryland across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Arizona compared to Maryland?
Maryland performs better than Arizona across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Arizona compared to Maryland?
The average high temperature in Phoenix is 87°F, compared to 68°F in Annapolis. Phoenix receives around 8.2 in of rainfall per year, while Annapolis gets 47.3 in.
