City comparison
Phoenix, AZ is about 175 miles (275 km) from Sierra Vista, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 225 miles, or about 3 h 30 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 Phoenix, AZ to Sierra Vista, AZ takes about 21 min, covering roughly 175 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 45,212 in Sierra Vista — about 35.6× larger by population. By land area, Phoenix covers about 520 sq mi vs 150 sq mi for Sierra Vista.
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 | Sierra Vista | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,322/mo | $1,080/mo | 22.4% higher in Phoenix |
| Median home value | $340,200 | $215,900 | 57.6% higher in Phoenix |
| Median household income | $72,092 | $70,899 | 1.7% higher in Phoenix |
| Groceries index | 95.8 | 96.9 | 1.1% higher in Sierra Vista |
| Utilities index | 96.2 | 94.9 | 1.3% higher in Phoenix |
| Transportation index | 104.1 | 100.3 | 3.8% higher in Phoenix |
| Healthcare index | 104.0 | 100.2 | 3.8% 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 $77,247 in Sierra Vista to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Sierra Vista, AZ is about 22.8% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 87% higher in Phoenix than in Sierra Vista. If you earn $80,000 in Phoenix, you'd need about $61,797 in Sierra Vista to keep the same standard of living.