City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Asheville | Phoenix | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,322/mo | 5.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $376,800 | $340,200 | 10.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $63,810 | $72,092 | 11.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 100.7 | 103.1 | 2.4% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 98.0 | 123.5 | 20.6% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 85.7 | 102.5 | 16.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.9 | 101.2 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Asheville, you'd need $109,148 in Phoenix to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Asheville, NC is about 8.4% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 5% lower in Asheville than in Phoenix. If you earn $80,000 in Asheville, you'd need about $87,319 in Phoenix to keep the same standard of living.