Moving to Arizona from Missouri
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Missouri to Arizona — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Missouri to Arizona, you would find that Arizona is 8.0% more expensive than Missouri. A $75,000 salary in Missouri would need to be roughly $86,376 in Arizona to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Phoenix averages 87°F vs 66°F in Columbia, making it significantly warmer. How your spending power changes when you relocate from Missouri to Arizona. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $86,376 To maintain the same standard of living in Arizona The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 15.5% more Groceries pay 0.8% less Transportation pay 5.4% less Housing pay 37.0% more Childcare pay 8.1% less Entertainment and Sports pay 15.4% 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. How Missouri and Arizona stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Arizona performs significantly better than Missouri across all safety metrics. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke Missouri generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arizona leads in adult obesity rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Missouri performs better than Arizona across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Missouri generally does better on infrastructure, though Arizona leads in internet access. 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 Missouri leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree Missouri generally does better on family life, though Arizona leads in life expectancy. 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) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Day-to-day costs in Arizona run about 15% higher than Missouri on average; specific cities can swing further. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $21,594 in Arizona for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. Arizona performs significantly better than Missouri across all safety metrics. Missouri generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Arizona leads in adult obesity rate. The average high temperature in Phoenix is 87°F, compared to 66°F in Columbia. Phoenix receives around 8.2 in of rainfall per year, while Columbia gets 46.3 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Columbia Phoenix Jan–Mar 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C) 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) Apr–Jun 76°/55°F (24°/13°C) 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) Jul–Sep 86°/65°F (30°/18°C) 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) Oct–Dec 55°/36°F (13°/2°C) 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) View all months
Month Columbia Phoenix Jan 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C) 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) Feb 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C) 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) Mar 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C) 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) Apr 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C) 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) May 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C) 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) Jun 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C) 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) Jul 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C) 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) Aug 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C) 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) Sep 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C) 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) Oct 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C) 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) Nov 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C) 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) Dec 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C) 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arizona than Missouri?
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