on $100k a year, leaving Phoenix
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
lighter monthly cost than Phoenix
Tucson gives you room Phoenix doesn't. Same gross salary, lower monthly cost of living.
a quick ledger.
$1,444/mo
17% cheaper than Phoenix(vs $1,739/mo)
2.5%
vs 2.5% in Phoenix
$6,681/mo
$295 more than Phoenix
gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.
$352k
23% cheaper than Phoenix
vs $458k in Phoenix
1.1M
vs 5.1M in Phoenix
field notes, weather & such.
202
pleasant days a year, in tucson.
Phoenix barely cracks 181 pleasant ones.
But the calendar thins out: Phoenix stays 6.0× busier.
66/100
0% lower than Phoenix
vs 66/100 in Phoenix
Closest outdoor draw: Saguaro National Park, 16.6 mi.
67/100
31% lower than Phoenix
vs 97/100 in Phoenix
16
82% fewer than Phoenix
vs 91 nonstops in Phoenix
neighbors of tucson on the map of tradeoffs:
compare tucson with:
