City comparison
Orem, UT is about 475 miles (750 km) from Phoenix, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 600 miles, or about 9 h 45 min 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 Orem, UT to Phoenix, AZ takes about 56 min, covering roughly 475 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 97,100 in Orem — about 16.6× larger by population. By land area, Phoenix covers about 520 sq mi vs 19 sq mi for Orem.
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 | Orem | Phoenix | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,290/mo | $1,322/mo | 2.5% higher in Phoenix |
| Median home value | $392,900 | $340,200 | 15.5% higher in Orem |
| Median household income | $77,568 | $72,092 | 7.6% higher in Orem |
| Groceries index | 97.1 | 95.8 | 1.3% higher in Orem |
| Utilities index | 82.8 | 96.2 | 16.2% 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 Orem, you'd need $109,212 in Phoenix to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Orem, UT is about 8.4% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 15% higher in Phoenix than in Orem. If you earn $80,000 in Orem, you'd need about $87,369 in Phoenix to keep the same standard of living.