on $100k a year, leaving Charleston
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
under Charleston, every month
Tucson sits well below Charleston on cost. Same paycheck, a noticeably lighter month.
a quick ledger.
$1,444/mo
27% cheaper than Charleston(vs $1,987/mo)
2.5%
$333/mo less in state tax than Charleston
vs 6.5% in Charleston
$6,681/mo
$876 more than Charleston
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$352k
18% cheaper than Charleston
vs $432k in Charleston
1.1M
vs 849k in Charleston
field notes, weather & such.
202
pleasant days a year, in tucson.
Charleston actually gets more: 212 pleasant days a year. The trade is summer: 94 days above 95°, vs 10 in Charleston.
Things to do run about even with Charleston.
66/100
1% lower than Charleston
vs 67/100 in Charleston
Closest outdoor draw: Saguaro National Park, 16.6 mi.
67/100
27% lower than Charleston
vs 92/100 in Charleston
16
20% fewer than Charleston
vs 20 nonstops in Charleston
neighbors of tucson on the map of tradeoffs:
compare tucson with:
