City comparison
Chandler, AZ is about 100 miles (150 km) from Tucson, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Chandler, AZ to Tucson, AZ takes about 12 min, covering roughly 100 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Tucson has a population of 541,033, vs 275,618 in Chandler — about 2.0× larger by population. By land area, Tucson covers about 240 sq mi vs 66 sq mi for Chandler.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
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 | Chandler | Tucson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,675/mo | $991/mo | 69.0% higher in Chandler |
| Median home value | $423,900 | $218,200 | 94.3% higher in Chandler |
| Median household income | $99,374 | $52,049 | 90.9% higher in Chandler |
| Groceries index | 95.8 | 96.9 | 1.1% higher in Tucson |
| Utilities index | 96.2 | 92.7 | 3.7% higher in Chandler |
| Transportation index | 104.1 | 100.3 | 3.8% higher in Chandler |
| Healthcare index | 104.0 | 100.2 | 3.8% higher in Chandler |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Chandler, you'd need $86,551 in Tucson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tucson, AZ is about 13.4% cheaper overall than Chandler, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 35% higher in Chandler than in Tucson. If you earn $80,000 in Chandler, you'd need about $69,240 in Tucson to keep the same standard of living.