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 | Mesa | Tucson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,352/mo | $991/mo | 36.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $327,700 | $218,200 | 50.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $73,766 | $52,049 | 41.7% 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 Mesa, you'd need $73,298 in Tucson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tucson, AZ is about 26.7% cheaper overall than Mesa, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 27% lower in Tucson than in Mesa. If you earn $80,000 in Mesa, you'd need about $58,638 in Tucson to keep the same standard of living.