Moving to Arizona from Massachusetts
What to Expect
Considering a move from Massachusetts to Arizona? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Massachusetts to Arizona, you would find that Arizona is 13.1% cheaper than Massachusetts. A $75,000 salary in Massachusetts would need to be roughly $62,921 in Arizona to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Phoenix averages 87°F vs 59°F in Boston, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Massachusetts and Arizona.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $62,921
To maintain the same standard of living in Arizona
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.1% less
Groceries
pay 13.8% less
Transportation
pay 6.0% less
Housing
pay 5.3% less
Childcare
pay 45.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.3% 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 19% less than cities in Massachusetts.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Arizona compared to Massachusetts.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Massachusetts 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
Massachusetts 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 performs significantly better than Massachusetts across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Massachusetts 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
Massachusetts 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
Massachusetts 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 | Boston | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Boston | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) |
| Feb | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) |
| Apr | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) |
| May | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) |
| Jun | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) |
| Jul | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) |
| Aug | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) |
| Sep | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) |
| Nov | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) |
| Dec | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arizona than Massachusetts?
On average Arizona is about 16% less expensive than Massachusetts, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Arizona?
Budget about $15,730 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?
Massachusetts performs better than Arizona across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Arizona compared to Massachusetts?
Massachusetts performs better than Arizona across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Arizona compared to Massachusetts?
The average high temperature in Phoenix is 87°F, compared to 59°F in Boston. Phoenix receives around 8.2 in of rainfall per year, while Boston gets 43.8 in.
