

Philadelphia vs Phoenix
$138/mo more in Phoenix
PhiladelphiaPhoenixAbout 2,077 miles apart, a flight.
- Phoenix leaves you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
- 299 sunny days
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,572/mo in Phoenix. $2,434/mo in Philadelphia. +$1,656 a year.
Philadelphia
$2,434
left each month
Phoenix
$2,572
+$138 vs Philadelphia
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
In 2022-2023, 636 households moved Philadelphia → Phoenix (avg AGI $120,283). 513 went the other way. The whole move →
+$138 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Philadelphia | Phoenix | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $8,125 | $7,578 | −$547 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,264 | $1,707 | −$557 |
| Take-home pay | $5,861 | $5,871 | +$10 |
| Rent | $1,530 | $1,277 | −$253 |
| Getting around | $418 | $586 | +$168 |
| Groceries | $408 | $396 | −$12 |
| Healthcare | $459 | $446 | −$13 |
| Utilities | $255 | $248 | −$7 |
| Everything else | $357 | $347 | −$10 |
| Left over | $2,434 | $2,572 | +$138 |
Salary to match Philadelphia
$88,500
Gross pay in Phoenix that leaves the same amount as $97,500 in Philadelphia.
Tax difference
+$4,741
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 27.9% in Philadelphia, 22.5% in Phoenix.
More about Phoenix
Philadelphia, PA in full
East Coast density at half of Boston's rent, minus a 3.75% city wage tax.
Phoenix, AZ in full
A 2.5% flat income tax, cheap housing for a big metro, and a genuinely dangerous July.
The other way
Start in Phoenix.
Phoenix → Philadelphia →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Phoenix than Philadelphia?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Phoenix leaves about $138 more a month. A one-bedroom is about $1,530 in Philadelphia and $1,277 in Phoenix.
Does Phoenix have state income tax?
Phoenix is in Arizona, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Philadelphia to Phoenix?
The paycheck is taxed in Arizona. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Philadelphia and Phoenix changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.