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 | Waterloo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,322/mo | $865/mo | 52.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $340,200 | $142,000 | 139.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $72,092 | $54,104 | 33.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.7 | 94.5 | 3.4% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 102.9 | 86.1 | 19.5% 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 $75,028 in Waterloo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Waterloo, IA is about 25% cheaper overall than Phoenix, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 44% lower in Waterloo than in Phoenix. If you earn $80,000 in Phoenix, you'd need about $60,022 in Waterloo to keep the same standard of living.