Overall
103.3
Above avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
Cost-of-living indicators for Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 103.3
- Overall RPP
- #44
- of 387 metros
- 121.2
- Rents RPP
- $97K
- $100K national buys
Phoenix ranks #44 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has fallen 2.4 points since 2008.
- falling since 2008
- similar cost to Ithaca
The verdict
Phoenix is more expensive than 89% of U.S. metros, an overall cost index of 103.3, 3.3% above the national average, led by rents at 121.2.
- top 11%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 95.0
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 93.3
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $96,790 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $103,316.
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Phoenix's overall RPP fell -1.4 points, from 104.7 in 2023 to 103.3 in 2024. The largest category movement was services, changing from 83.1 to 93.3. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has been trending downward, decreasing by 2.4 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2022, when the index jumped 4.8 points from the year before, a bigger swing than the full 2008-2024 change.
Phoenix overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 105.7 |
| 2009 | 105.4 |
| 2010 | 102.7 |
| 2011 | 100.3 |
| 2012 | 98.7 |
| 2013 | 99.5 |
| 2014 | 99.1 |
| 2015 | 98.7 |
| 2016 | 100.4 |
| 2017 | 98.9 |
| 2018 | 99.6 |
| 2019 | 100.0 |
| 2020 | 102.8 |
| 2021 | 99.1 |
| 2022 | 103.9 |
| 2023 | 104.7 |
| 2024 | 103.3 |
Housing-led cost profile
How Phoenix's cost structure works
Housing is the defining pressure in Phoenix: rents index at 121.2, the furthest component above the national benchmark. The overall index of 103.3 places Phoenix in the upper 25% by overall cost; the rent line explains why a similar headline RPP can still require a different housing budget.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Reno, NV, Charleston-North Charleston, SC, Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV. They resemble Phoenix across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Phoenix's overall index has fallen by 2.4 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
Phoenix vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
103 Top 11% higher than 89% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Phoenix cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
121.2 RPP
- Services
Services
93.3 RPP
- Overall
Overall
103.3 RPP
- Goods
Goods
95 RPP
What this shows Phoenix's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 121.2 depart furthest from 100, while services sits at 93.3. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where Phoenix's cost comes from
Metros near Phoenix's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Read the chart as text
- Phoenix (Phoenix, this metro): goods RPP 95, rents RPP 121.2
- Ithaca: goods RPP 99.7, rents RPP 128.4
- Bellingham: goods RPP 105, rents RPP 112.9
- Fairbanks: goods RPP 107.3, rents RPP 92.6
- Naples: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 129.4
- Trenton: goods RPP 99.8, rents RPP 135.1
- Dallas: goods RPP 102.8, rents RPP 117.9
Price Index Summary
Goods
95.0
Below avg
Services
93.3
Below avg
Rents
121.2
Expensive
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$103,316
in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$51,658
$75,000 nationally
$77,487
$125,000 nationally
$129,145
$150,000 nationally
$154,974
$200,000 nationally
$206,632
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
F
10/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability F
10th percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
AZ-relative analysis
Goods prices places Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ near the bottom of AZ's metros
Among the 7 AZ metros PlainCost tracks with reported goods prices data, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ ranks #7 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#7 of 7
0th percentile in AZ
Services prices
#2 of 7
71st percentile in AZ
Rent prices
#1 of 7
86th percentile in AZ
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within AZ only, not a livability score.
Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: nearest metros by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the in-state metro list below.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest metros by overall regional price parity (103.3 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (121.2 here).
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO Rents 120.6 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX Rents 120.4 Charleston-North Charleston, SC Rents 119.8 Kahului-Wailuku, HI Rents 119.2 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT Rents 123.3 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL Rents 123.4 Reno, NV Rents 123.5 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Rents 118.2
Other AZ Metros
Flagstaff, AZ 100.3 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ 98.3 Tucson, AZ 96.9 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 94.1 Yuma, AZ 92.7 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 89.2
View all AZ metros → Cheapest in AZ → Most expensive in AZ →
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Phoenix's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Reno, NV
Goods 96.3 · Services 89.3 · Rents 123.5 Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Goods 96.3 · Services 88.2 · Rents 119.8 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV
Goods 96.3 · Services 90.6 · Rents 115.5 Ann Arbor, MI
Goods 93.7 · Services 98.2 · Rents 125.3 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
Goods 96.2 · Services 87.2 · Rents 123.4 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Goods 95.5 · Services 88.5 · Rents 125.8
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ's index of 103.3.
Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.
Shareable data card
Take this cost snapshot with you
Download the data card or share this exact metro record. The card uses the same BEA-derived values shown above.
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
Compare to Other Metros
What this means for Phoenix
How to read Phoenix's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $96,790 in Phoenix. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 121.2, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Phoenix head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 103.3, meaning it is 3.3% more expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 95.0, services at 93.3, and rents at 121.2. It ranks #44 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $103,316 in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ. Conversely, $100K earned in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ has the purchasing power of $96,790 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
Rents in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ are indexed at 121.2, which is 21.2% above the national average. This is significantly higher than typical U.S. rents.
Is Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ's overall cost index changed by -2.4 points (from 105.7 to 103.3). The cost of living has been declining.
What costs the most in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
The priciest category in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ is rents at 121.2, 21.2% above the national average. The most affordable category is services at 93.3, 6.7% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Ithaca, Bellingham, Fairbanks-College. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ's 103.3.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.