Moving to Arizona from Minnesota
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Minnesota to Arizona — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Minnesota to Arizona, you would find that Arizona is 0.8% cheaper than Minnesota. A $75,000 salary in Minnesota would need to be roughly $77,970 in Arizona to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Phoenix averages 87°F vs 56°F in Saint Paul, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Minnesota to Arizona.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $77,970
To maintain the same standard of living in Arizona
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 5.4% more
Groceries
pay 7.9% less
Transportation
pay 3.5% less
Housing
pay 29.4% more
Childcare
pay 24.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.1% 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
How Minnesota and Arizona stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Minnesota 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
Minnesota generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arizona leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Minnesota 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
Minnesota performs 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
Minnesota 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
Minnesota 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 | Saint Paul | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 32°/16°F (0°/-9°C) | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 69°/50°F (21°/10°C) | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/60°F (26°/16°C) | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/27°F (6°/-3°C) | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Saint Paul | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25°/9°F (-4.1°/-12.6°C) | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) |
| Feb | 30°/14°F (-1.3°/-9.9°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 42°/26°F (5.5°/-3.6°C) | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) |
| Apr | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) |
| May | 70°/50°F (21.2°/10.0°C) | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) |
| Jun | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) |
| Jul | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.1°C) | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) |
| Aug | 81°/62°F (27.1°/16.8°C) | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) |
| Sep | 72°/53°F (22.2°/11.7°C) | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 59°/40°F (14.8°/4.7°C) | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) |
| Nov | 42°/28°F (5.6°/-2.4°C) | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) |
| Dec | 28°/14°F (-2.5°/-10.1°C) | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arizona than Minnesota?
Day-to-day costs in Arizona run about 4% higher than Minnesota on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Arizona?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $19,492 in Arizona for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Arizona safe?
Minnesota performs better than Arizona across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Arizona compared to Minnesota?
Minnesota generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arizona leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in Arizona compared to Minnesota?
The average high temperature in Phoenix is 87°F, compared to 56°F in Saint Paul. Phoenix receives around 8.2 in of rainfall per year, while Saint Paul gets 28.5 in.
