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 | Boulder | Phoenix | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,853/mo | $1,322/mo | 40.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $919,700 | $340,200 | 170.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $80,243 | $72,092 | 11.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 125.1 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 104.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 104.1 | ≈ 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 Boulder, you'd need $71,343 in Phoenix to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Phoenix, AZ is about 28.7% cheaper overall than Boulder, CO, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 29% lower in Phoenix than in Boulder. If you earn $80,000 in Boulder, you'd need about $57,074 in Phoenix to keep the same standard of living.