Moving to Arizona from United States
What to Expect
Considering a move from United States to Arizona? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from United States to Arizona, you would find that Arizona is 6.2% cheaper than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly $61,409 in Arizona to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Phoenix averages 87°F vs 66°F in Washington, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between United States and Arizona.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $61,409
To maintain the same standard of living in Arizona
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.3% more
Groceries
pay 11.1% less
Transportation
pay 6.5% less
Housing
pay 8.8% more
Childcare
pay 29.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.3% 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 26% less than cities in United States.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Arizona compared to United States.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Arizona performs significantly better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
United States 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
share of people below the poverty line
United States generally does better on employment & economy, though Arizona leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
United States performs better than Arizona across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Washington | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arizona than United States?
On average Arizona is about 18% less expensive than United States, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Arizona?
Budget about $15,352 for 3 months in Arizona (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Arizona?
From major Arizona cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in United States and Arizona are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Arizona compared to United States?
Arizona performs significantly better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Arizona compared to United States?
The average high temperature in Phoenix is 87°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Phoenix receives around 8.2 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
What language do they speak in Arizona?
Both United States and Arizona share the same official language: English.
