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 | El Centro | Phoenix | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $938/mo | $1,322/mo | 29.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $266,500 | $340,200 | 21.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $54,922 | $72,092 | 23.8% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 104.8 | 97.7 | 7.3% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 147.6 | 102.9 | 43.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 101.6 | 104.2 | 2.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 101.4 | 104.0 | 2.5% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in El Centro, you'd need $117,091 in Phoenix to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
El Centro, CA is about 14.6% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 41% lower in El Centro than in Phoenix. If you earn $80,000 in El Centro, you'd need about $93,673 in Phoenix to keep the same standard of living.