Overall
Arizona feels cheaper overall
Arizona has the lower cost-of-living index, beating California by 35.4 points on the overall affordability baseline.
View detailed comparison
Cost of Living Comparison
Quality of Life
Arizona vs California: Cost of Living
Arizona is cheaper overall by 35.4 cost-of-living points, but Arizona has lower median home values.
Arizona
AZ • West
103.1
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
California
CA • West
138.5
Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Visual Comparison
Arizona
103.1
California
138.5
Difference: 35.4 points — Arizona leads.
Overview
A fast-reading view of the tradeoffs behind the raw cost numbers.
Living Costs
Housing
pay about 2.1x more for a home
Arizona has the lower median home value, while buying in California costs materially more at the median.
View detailed comparisonRent Pressure
Arizona puts less pressure on a median paycheck
Median rent takes a smaller share of household income in Arizona than in California, which makes monthly budgeting easier.
View detailed comparisonTaxes
Arizona keeps more income after state tax
Arizona has the lower top state income tax rate, which softens the total cost picture even when prices are close.
View detailed comparisonCost Stack
Arizona
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
103.1
Regional price parity
99.2
Regular gas price
$4.742/gal
Electricity price
15.61 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,311/mo
Median home value
$327,400
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
2.50%
State sales tax
5.60%
Property tax
0.48%
Income
Median household income
$72,581
Income after median rent
$4,737
Minimum wage
$15.15/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Permissive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Legal
California
Overall Affordability
Cost of living index
138.5
Regional price parity
113.4
Regular gas price
$5.929/gal
Electricity price
30.29 c/kWh
Housing
Median gross rent
$1,856/mo
Median home value
$693,700
Owner costs with mortgage
-
Owner costs without mortgage
-
Taxes
State income tax
13.30%
State sales tax
7.25%
Property tax
0.70%
Income
Median household income
$84,097
Income after median rent
$5,152
Minimum wage
$16.90/hr
Laws
Gun laws
Restrictive
Alcohol system
License State
Marijuana status
Legal
What Stands Out
- Arizona has lower median home values.
- Arizona has the lower overall cost index.
- California has the higher median household income.
- Arizona looks more attainable on home value to income ratio.
Affordability Ratios
Related Pages
What This Means
Arizona vs California: Cost of Living in context
Arizona has a cost of living of 103.1, compared with 138.5 in California. Composite cost of living index (100 = national average). Lower = more affordable.
Arizona
103.1
California
138.5
Difference
35.4 points
People Also Ask
Arizona vs California Cost of Living — Common Questions
Q What is Arizona's cost of living?
Arizona's cost of living is 103.1.
Q What is California's cost of living?
California's cost of living is 138.5.
Q Which state has a lower cost of living — Arizona or California?
Arizona is cheaper overall by 35.4 cost-of-living points, but Arizona has lower median home values.
More Comparisons: Arizona vs California
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.