How Much Does It Cost to Live In Phoenix, AZ?
Phoenix is the capital of the state of Arizona and the most populous city in the American Southwest.
And don’t forget it’s the sixth largest city in the United States.
The cost of living in Phoenix, as a whole, is very reasonable.
Housing as an example, is typically only 65% of what it costs to live in Los Angeles, and 50% of what it costs to live in New York City.
Most other costs like insurance, entertainment, etc. are all fairly reasonable and less than most metropolitan areas, except for one thing – utilities.
In the summer, air conditioning bills can be outrageously expensive.
United States : Cost of Living by City
- Albany, NY
- Albuquerque, NM
- Anchorage, AK
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Arlington, TX
- Asheville, NC
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Bakersfield, CA
- Baltimore, MD
- Bellevue, WA
- Bellingham, WA
- Berkeley, CA
- Birmingham, AL
- Boise, ID
- Boston, MA
- Boulder, CO
- Brooklyn, NY
- Buffalo, NY
- Burlington, VT
- Charleston, SC
- Charlotte, NC
- Chattanooga, TN
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbia, SC
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Dayton, OH
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Detroit, MI
- El Paso, TX
- Eugene, OR
- Everett, WA
- Fayetteville, AR
- Fort Myers, FL
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Fort Worth, TX
- Fresno, CA
- Gainesville, FL
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Greensboro, NC
- Hartford, CT
- Honolulu, HI
- Houston, TX
- Huntsville, AL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Irvine, CA
- Jacksonville, FL
- Jersey City, NJ
- Kansas City, MO
- Knoxville, TN
- Las Vegas, NV
- Lexington, KY
- Little Rock, AR
- Long Beach, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Lubbock, TX
- Madison, WI
- Memphis, TN
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Nashville, TN
- New Orleans, LA
- New York, NY
- Oakland, CA
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Olympia, WA
- Orlando, FL
- Peoria, IL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, ME
- Portland, OR
- Raleigh, NC
- Reno, NV
- Richmond, VA
- Rochester, NY
- Sacramento, CA
- Saint Louis, MO
- Saint Paul, MN
- Saint Petersburg, FL
- Salem, OR
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Santa Rosa, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Springfield, MO
- Syracuse, NY
- Tacoma, WA
- Tallahassee, FL
- Tampa, FL
- Toledo, OH
- Tucson, AZ
- Tulsa, OK
- Vancouver, WA
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Washington, DC
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Wichita, KS
RESTAURANTS
Eating out is relatively cheap in Phoenix!
You can eat in chain fast food restaurants for a couple of dollars and you can also have a meal in a decent restaurant for around 20$.
Dinner at a mid-range restaurant for two can cost anywhere from 50$ and up, while domestic beer is reasonably priced at 6$.
MARKETS
When it comes to buying food at supermarkets, it is definitely cheaper than eating out regularly.
The plus side also is that you know exactly what you’re eating.
Minimal grocery items average about 315$ per month.
Phoenix is one of, if not the most, competitive grocery market in the US.
TRANSPORTATION
Phoenix is an extremely car-centered city.
Valley Metro is the extensive and well-organized bus system of the city and light rail line.
One-ride or all-day passes generally range from 0.85$ to 7.25$ with the highest being an all-day pass purchased on an Express Bus.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
In the summer, air conditioning bills can be outrageously expensive.
There are 90 straight days of 110+ temperatures that can wreak havoc with your electric bills.
For a large two-bedroom apartment, you will typically spend around 220$ a month during the summer, so you have to take this into account when figuring out the cost of living.
In the winter, on the other hand, there is little need for heat, so utilities are extremely low.
SPORTS & LEISURE
The good news, movie tickets in Phoenix are inexpensive relative to other major U.S. cities.
As for staying fit, fitness and practicing sports is sort of a luxury everywhere and this applies to every city and country, and not surprisingly – it applies to Phoenix, too.
For example, membership in a gym or a fitness club will cost you around 28$ which is actually cheap.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Shopping for clothes in Phoenix is not a bad idea – it’s filled with shopping malls and the prices aren’t too high – they’re actually pretty much the same as in most American cities.
You can find quality jeans like Levi’s for only 47$, while a pair of quality running shoes from brands like Nike cost around 85$.
RENT PER MONTH
Rent isn’t really cheap in Phoenix, but it all depends on where you want to live and how big you want your apartment to be.
You can also choose between furnished and unfurnished ones.
If you’ve got your mind set on the city center, the average price will be around 1700$.
An apartment outside of the city center will be closer to 1400$.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Phoenix, AZ
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $20.00 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $6.00 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.90 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $0.91 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $3.49 |
| Eggs (12) | $4.48 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $2.00 |
| Monthly Pass | $64.00 |
| Gasoline | $1.13 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $217.55 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.11 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $80.86 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $28.42 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $35.00 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $12.75 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $46.96 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $39.33 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $84.96 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $1702.90 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $1472.69 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $2935.16 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Phoenix, AZ?
Rent is definitely how the average person in Phoenix spends the biggest part of their salary.
The fact that rent is a bigger expense than even food, in most cases just testifies to the fact that rent is through the roof in those cities where it’s the single biggest expense.
The next thing that draws the biggest bulk of the money from the people of Phoenix is definitely the food.
An average person living in Phoenix, and having to feed his/her family, spends the biggest amount of their money in supermarkets and grocery stores.
Restaurants and transportation are also significant expenses for an average person living in this city.
Average Costs Breakdown
Phoenix, AZ: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
Phoenix’s economy was, actually, hit hard by the subprime mortgage crisis, indicating that the economy is not diversified enough.
Arizona tends to rank high nationwide in unemployment, and it is also considered a state with relatively low wages.
However, the average monthly net salary is well above 4900$ which allows residents of Phoenix to live without having to worry about their existence.
The minimum wage in Phoenix is around 1900$ which is definitely reasonable and surely enough to be able to cover all of your costs in this popular city.
Phoenix Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Phoenix Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: MEDIUM
