$100k salary, packing up from Boston
changea dispatch from
tucson
AZ
32.25°N
110.91°W
Tucson is the first U.S. city named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, and the Sonoran hot dogs alone justify the trip. The saguaros stand around like skinny green sentries, the mountains ring the city in every direction, and the sunsets do that thing where the whole sky turns watermelon. The University of Arizona keeps the energy young. The monsoons in July are genuinely thrilling, and the dry desert nights keep the patios full long after dark.
in our guides
the verdict
less monthly outlay than Boston
Tucson is the kind of cheap that changes the math. Same salary, a different life on the other side.
a quick ledger.
$1,444/mo
54% cheaper than Boston(vs $3,145/mo)
2.5%
$208/mo less in state tax than Boston
vs 5% in Boston
$6,681/mo
$1,909 more than Boston
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$352k
54% cheaper than Boston
vs $771k in Boston
1.1M
vs 4.9M in Boston
field notes, weather & such.
202
pleasant days a year, in tucson.
Boston only manages 160 of those. Bring the AC. 94 days a year clear 95°, well past Boston's 2.
80% fewer events than Boston. The pace eases up.
66/100
7% lower than Boston
vs 71/100 in Boston
Closest outdoor draw: Saguaro National Park, 16.6 mi.
67/100
32% lower than Boston
vs 98/100 in Boston
16
84% fewer than Boston
vs 103 nonstops in Boston
same energy as tucson, different zip code:
compare tucson with:
