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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Here's Tucson by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And generally speaking, cost index: 97. Rent: $1,399/month. Income: $54,546/year. Home price: $321,688. Population: 547,239. The strongest category is Utilities at 89; the most expensive is Healthcare at 100. Translate…
Here's Tucson by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And generally speaking, cost index: 97. Rent: $1,399/month. Income: $54,546/year. Home price: $321,688. Population: 547,239. The strongest category is Utilities at 89; the most expensive is Healthcare at 100. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $5,952 per year vs. the national median. If you're a planner, this number should anchor your spreadsheet.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Tucson (index 97, rent $1,399); Glendale (index 103, rent $1,544); Phoenix (index 104, rent $1,556). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
Nobody expects rock-bottom prices in Arizona — but that doesn't mean all cities are equally expensive. Tucson (index 97, rent $1,399/mo) carves out real savings within a high-cost market. We analyzed 12 cities to find where your money goes furthest in 2026.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
#1 Ranked: Tucson — cost index 97, rent $1,399/mo, income $54,546
9 of 12 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
547,239 residents · Arizona
Look, the #1 spot goes to Tucson, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,399/month — saving renters $5,952 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 89, making it one of the cheapest in the country for that category. The weak spot? Healthcare at 100. The 31% rent-to-income ratio is a pressure point — for median earners, housing takes more than recommended.
253,855 residents · Arizona
Here's Glendale by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 103. Rent: $1,544/month. Income: $70,139/year. Home price: $403,915. Population: 253,855. The strongest category is Utilities at 95; the most expensive is Housing at 108. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $4,212 per year vs. the national median. That's an underrated factor in the decision.
1,650,070 residents · Arizona
The #3 spot goes to Phoenix, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,556/month — saving renters $4,068 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 95, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 109. At a 24% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget (that's pre-tax, of course).
511,648 residents · Arizona
The #4 spot goes to Mesa, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $1,554/month — saving renters $4,092 per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 96, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 112. At a 24% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget. Worth a deeper look.
189,834 residents · Arizona
Why Tempe ranks #5: the numbers tell a clear story. At 108 on the cost index, residents save roughly 4% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,679/month — for better or worse — while the median household pulls in $77,643/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 100, though Housing (120) lags behind. Home prices average $466,198 — $1,172 below the national median.
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tucson | 97 | $1,399 | Details |
| 2 | Glendale | 103 | $1,544 | Details |
| 3 | Phoenix | 104 | $1,556 | Details |
| 4 | Mesa | 105 | $1,554 | Details |
| 5 | Tempe | 108 | $1,679 | Details |
| 6 | Surprise | 110 | $1,926 | Details |
| 7 | Goodyear | 110 | $1,767 | Details |
| 8 | Buckeye | 110 | $2,004 | Details |
| 9 | Peoria | 111 | $1,821 | Details |
| 10 | Chandler | 113 | $1,848 | Details |
| 11 | Gilbert | 119 | $2,049 | Details |
| 12 | Scottsdale | 133 | $2,113 | Details |
Tucson ranks #1 in Arizona for this analysis with a cost index of 97 and median income of $54,546.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Tucson (ranked #1) has a cost index of 97 and rent of $1,399/mo, while Scottsdale (ranked #12) has a cost index of 133 and rent of $2,113/mo — a 36-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Tucson is $1,399/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $496 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Tucson is $321,688, which is 5.9× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Arizona has a 2.5% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.37%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.51%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.