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 | Urbandale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,322/mo | $1,108/mo | 19.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $340,200 | $298,500 | 14.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $72,092 | $111,888 | 35.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 94.5 | 3.4% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 102.9 | 86.7 | 18.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.2 | 94.1 | 10.7% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.0 | 94.8 | 9.8% 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 $83,256 in Urbandale to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Urbandale, IA is about 16.7% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 26% lower in Urbandale than in Phoenix. If you earn $80,000 in Phoenix, you'd need about $66,605 in Urbandale to keep the same standard of living.