on $100k a year, leaving Honolulu
changea dispatch from
phoenix
AZ
33.45°N
112.07°W
Phoenix is sun, saguaros, and a valley so wide you can drive 45 minutes in a straight line and still be in greater Phoenix. The Sonoran Desert blooms wildly in spring, the monsoon storms in late summer are theatrical, and the hiking on Camelback or Piestewa Peak is a sunrise ritual. Pools and shaded patios are basically infrastructure, and the locals have the rhythm of a desert day dialed.
in our guides
the verdict
under Honolulu, every month
Phoenix is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
a quick ledger.
$1,739/mo
39% cheaper than Honolulu(vs $2,843/mo)
2.5%
$708/mo less in state tax than Honolulu
vs 11% in Honolulu
$6,386/mo
$1,812 more than Honolulu
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$458k
57% cheaper than Honolulu
vs $1061k in Honolulu
5.1M
vs 989k in Honolulu
field notes, weather & such.
181
pleasant days a year, in phoenix.
Honolulu gets 316 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine. Summer asks for something in return: 133 days top 95° here, 0 in Honolulu.
2.1× the events of Honolulu, and the calendar shows it.
66/100
20% higher than Honolulu
vs 55/100 in Honolulu
Closest outdoor draw: Sierra Estrella Wilderness Area, 20.4 mi.
97/100
2% lower than Honolulu
vs 99/100 in Honolulu
91
78% more than Honolulu
vs 51 nonstops in Honolulu
compare phoenix with:
