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 | Phoenix | Richmond | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,322/mo | $1,227/mo | 7.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $340,200 | $308,300 | 10.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $72,092 | $59,606 | 20.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 103.1 | 100.4 | 2.7% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 123.5 | 97.7 | 26.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 102.5 | 85.2 | 20.3% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 101.2 | 100.2 | 1.0% higher 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 Phoenix, you'd need $90,648 in Richmond to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Richmond, VA is about 9.4% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 7% lower in Richmond than in Phoenix. If you earn $80,000 in Phoenix, you'd need about $72,518 in Richmond to keep the same standard of living.