Moving to Arizona from Utah
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Utah to Arizona — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Utah to Arizona, you would find that Arizona is 5.0% more expensive than Utah. A $75,000 salary in Utah would need to be roughly $79,060 in Arizona to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Phoenix averages 87°F vs 64°F in Salt Lake City, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Utah to Arizona.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $79,060
To maintain the same standard of living in Arizona
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 14.0% more
Groceries
pay 2.5% more
Transportation
pay 6.4% less
Housing
pay 21.1% more
Childcare
pay 2.3% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.0% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Utah to Arizona.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Utah 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
Utah 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
Utah generally does better on what about housing?, though Arizona leads in median home value.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Utah 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
Utah 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
Utah generally does better on family life, though Arizona leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
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 | Salt Lake City | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/27°F (7°/-3°C) | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/60°F (31°/16°C) | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/32°F (10°/0°C) | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Salt Lake City | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C) | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) |
| Feb | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) |
| Apr | 62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C) | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) |
| Jun | 83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C) | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) |
| Jul | 93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C) | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) |
| Aug | 90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C) | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) |
| Sep | 79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C) | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C) | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) |
| Nov | 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C) | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) |
| Dec | 38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°C) | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arizona than Utah?
No — Arizona is on average about 5% more expensive than Utah. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Arizona?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $19,765 in Arizona on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Arizona safe?
Utah performs better than Arizona across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Arizona compared to Utah?
Utah performs better than Arizona across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Arizona compared to Utah?
The average high temperature in Phoenix is 87°F, compared to 64°F in Salt Lake City. Phoenix receives around 8.2 in of rainfall per year, while Salt Lake City gets 16.1 in.
