$100k salary, packing up from Columbus
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 Columbus's monthly cost
A near-tie on cost. What separates Tucson is the life around the numbers.
a quick ledger.
$1,444/mo
14% more expensive than Columbus(vs $1,264/mo)
2.5%
$249/mo less in state tax than Columbus
vs 5.49% in Columbus
$6,681/mo
$69 more than Columbus
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$352k
69% more expensive than Columbus
vs $208k in Columbus
1.1M
vs 329k in Columbus
field notes, weather & such.
202
pleasant days a year, in tucson.
Columbus barely cracks 177 pleasant ones. Summer asks for something in return: 94 days top 95° here, 39 in Columbus.
Nights and weekends fill up faster. 1.4× more on the calendar than Columbus.
66/100
40% higher than Columbus
vs 47/100 in Columbus
Closest outdoor draw: Saguaro National Park, 16.6 mi.
67/100
14% lower than Columbus
vs 78/100 in Columbus
16
1500% more than Columbus
vs 1 nonstops in Columbus
compare tucson with:
