City comparison
Phoenix, AZ is about 125 miles (200 km) from Tucson, AZ in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 150 miles, or about 2 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 Tucson, AZ takes about 15 min, covering roughly 125 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 541,033 in Tucson — about 3.0× larger by population. By land area, Phoenix covers about 520 sq mi vs 240 sq mi for Tucson.
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 | Tucson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,322/mo | $991/mo | 33.4% higher in Phoenix |
| Median home value | $340,200 | $218,200 | 55.9% higher in Phoenix |
| Median household income | $72,092 | $52,049 | 38.5% higher in Phoenix |
| Groceries index | 95.8 | 96.9 | 1.1% higher in Tucson |
| Utilities index | 96.2 | 92.7 | 3.7% 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 $87,403 in Tucson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tucson, AZ is about 12.6% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 32% higher in Phoenix than in Tucson. If you earn $80,000 in Phoenix, you'd need about $69,923 in Tucson to keep the same standard of living.