with $100k coming in, swapping out of Boulder
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
below Boulder's monthly cost
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
35% cheaper than Boulder(vs $2,216/mo)
2.5%
$158/mo less in state tax than Boulder
vs 4.4% in Boulder
$6,681/mo
$930 more than Boulder
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$352k
55% cheaper than Boulder
vs $783k in Boulder
1.1M
vs 327k in Boulder
field notes, weather & such.
202
pleasant days a year, in tucson.
Boulder keeps to 178 pleasant days a year. Bring the AC. 94 days a year clear 95°, well past Boulder's 13.
450% more happening than in Boulder.
66/100
16% lower than Boulder
vs 79/100 in Boulder
Closest outdoor draw: Saguaro National Park, 16.6 mi.
67/100
20% lower than Boulder
vs 84/100 in Boulder
16
91% fewer than Boulder
vs 169 nonstops in Boulder
compare tucson with:
