City comparison
Austin, TX vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 5.4% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $105,400 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,562 a month in Austin, TX and $1,583 in Phoenix, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Phoenix, AZ than in Austin, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.7% moving from Austin, TX to Phoenix, AZ ($109,428 → $111,338), while prices change by +5.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.4% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,354 in Phoenix | $94,919 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
53 Fair offer
Phoenix, AZ → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Austin → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $64,564 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $78,117 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $93,629 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $111,338 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $131,568 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $59,180 | $56,173 (−8.3%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $131,750 | $125,055 (−6.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $80,820 | $76,713 (−7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $100,830 | $95,706 (−2.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.