City comparison
Scottsdale, 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 Scottsdale, AZ to Tucson, AZ takes about 14 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.
Tucson has a population of 541,033, vs 240,537 in Scottsdale — about 2.2× larger by population. By land area, Tucson covers about 240 sq mi vs 185 sq mi for Scottsdale.
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 | Scottsdale | Tucson | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,768/mo | $991/mo | 78.4% higher in Scottsdale |
| Median home value | $651,800 | $218,200 | 198.7% higher in Scottsdale |
| Median household income | $104,197 | $52,049 | 100.2% higher in Scottsdale |
| Groceries index | 95.8 | 96.9 | 1.1% higher in Tucson |
| Utilities index | 96.2 | 92.7 | 3.7% higher in Scottsdale |
| Transportation index | 104.1 | 100.3 | 3.8% higher in Scottsdale |
| Healthcare index | 104.0 | 100.2 | 3.8% higher in Scottsdale |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Scottsdale, you'd need $86,338 in Tucson to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Tucson, AZ is about 13.7% cheaper overall than Scottsdale, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 36% higher in Scottsdale than in Tucson. If you earn $80,000 in Scottsdale, you'd need about $69,070 in Tucson to keep the same standard of living.