City comparison
Phoenix, AZ is about 425 miles (700 km) from Roswell, NM in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 550 miles, or about 9 h 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 Phoenix, AZ to Roswell, NM takes about 52 min, covering roughly 425 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 48,035 in Roswell — about 33.5× larger by population. By land area, Phoenix covers about 520 sq mi vs 30 sq mi for Roswell.
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 | Phoenix | Roswell | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,322/mo | $855/mo | 54.6% higher in Phoenix |
| Median home value | $340,200 | $130,200 | 161.3% higher in Phoenix |
| Median household income | $72,092 | $48,298 | 49.3% higher in Phoenix |
| Groceries index | 95.8 | 96.9 | 1.1% higher in Roswell |
| Utilities index | 96.2 | 82.2 | 17.1% higher in Phoenix |
| Transportation index | 104.1 | 99.1 | 5.0% higher in Phoenix |
| Healthcare index | 104.0 | 99.0 | 5.0% 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 Phoenix, you'd need $75,589 in Roswell to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Roswell, NM is about 24.4% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 89% higher in Phoenix than in Roswell. If you earn $80,000 in Phoenix, you'd need about $60,471 in Roswell to keep the same standard of living.