City comparison
Idaho Falls, ID is about 700 miles (1,100 km) from Phoenix, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 850 miles, or about 14 hours 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 Idaho Falls, ID to Phoenix, AZ takes about 1 h 22 min, covering roughly 700 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.
Phoenix has a population of 1,609,456, vs 65,685 in Idaho Falls — about 24.5× larger by population. By land area, Phoenix covers about 520 sq mi vs 27 sq mi for Idaho Falls.
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 | Idaho Falls | Phoenix | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $931/mo | $1,322/mo | 42.0% higher in Phoenix |
| Median home value | $266,800 | $340,200 | 27.5% higher in Phoenix |
| Median household income | $66,463 | $72,092 | 8.5% higher in Phoenix |
| Groceries index | 96.9 | 95.8 | 1.1% higher in Idaho Falls |
| Utilities index | 74.6 | 96.2 | 28.9% higher in Phoenix |
| Transportation index | 99.5 | 104.1 | 4.6% higher in Phoenix |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 104.0 | 4.6% higher in Phoenix |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Idaho Falls, you'd need $120,855 in Phoenix to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Idaho Falls, ID is about 17.3% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 44% higher in Phoenix than in Idaho Falls. If you earn $80,000 in Idaho Falls, you'd need about $96,684 in Phoenix to keep the same standard of living.