USA Cost of Living Compare US cities and states with official data

Texas vs Arizona: cost of living compared

Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).

Is it cheaper to live in Texas or Arizona?

  • Overall, Arizona is 3.7% more expensive than Texas (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Texas works out to about $77,800 in Arizona, before taxes.
  • Most of the difference is housing, which costs 10.7% more in Arizona. Goods are 2.8% lower and other services 5.9% higher.
  • After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $52,890 in Arizona and $58,219 in Texas (9.2% lower in Arizona; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
  • Inside each state, metro price levels run from 89.2 in Sierra Vista, AZ to 103.3 in Phoenix, AZ (Arizona) and from 83.8 in Eagle Pass, TX to 103.1 in Dallas, TX (Texas), US = 100.
  • The gap has widened since 2019, when Arizona was 0.7% less expensive than Texas.

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities and real personal income by state. Statewide averages mix cities and rural areas; taxes are not included. How we calculate.

Try your own salary

18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both states against the US average (100).

Housing drives the gap: 10.7% higher in Arizona than in Texas

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

  • Texas
  • Arizona
All items
97.1 100.7
Goods
98.1 95.4
Housing (rents)
96.5 106.8
Utilities
87.5 92.3
Other services
97.1 102.8

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
TexasArizona
All items97.1100.7
Goods98.195.4
Housing (rents)96.5106.8
Utilities87.592.3
Other services97.1102.8
CategoryTexasArizonaArizona vs Texas
All items97.1100.7+3.7%
Goods98.195.4−2.8%
Housing (rents)96.5106.8+10.7%
Utilities87.592.3+5.5%
Other services97.1102.8+5.9%
Income per person, adjusted for prices $58,219 $52,890 −9.2%
Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* $3.70 $5.56 +50.0%
Salary to match $75,000 in Texas $75,000 $77,800 +3.7%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices. *West Coast region average (EIA has no separate Arizona figure).

Cheapest and most expensive places in each state

Texas

  1. Eagle Pass, TX 83.8
  2. Texarkana, TX 84.0
  3. McAllen, TX 85.9
  4. Brownsville, TX 86.0
  5. Laredo, TX 87.0
  6. Longview, TX 89.5
  7. Wichita Falls, TX 89.5
  8. Victoria, TX 89.8
  9. El Paso, TX 89.9
  10. Beaumont, TX 90.0
  11. Abilene, TX 90.4
  12. College Station, TX 91.0
  13. Killeen, TX 91.1
  14. Lubbock, TX 91.3
  15. Amarillo, TX 91.8
  16. Tyler, TX 92.2
  17. San Angelo, TX 92.5
  18. Waco, TX 92.6
  19. Corpus Christi, TX 92.7
  20. Sherman, TX 93.8
  21. Odessa, TX 93.9
  22. San Antonio, TX 94.7
  23. Midland, TX 95.8
  24. Austin, TX 98.1
  25. Houston, TX 98.6
  26. Dallas, TX 103.1

Arizona

  1. Sierra Vista, AZ 89.2
  2. Yuma, AZ 92.7
  3. Lake Havasu City, AZ 94.1
  4. Tucson, AZ 96.9
  5. Prescott Valley, AZ 98.3
  6. Flagstaff, AZ 100.3
  7. Phoenix, AZ 103.3

Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between Texas and Arizona has narrowed since 2008: 5.4 points then, 3.6 now

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

  • Texas
  • Arizona
US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
TexasArizona
200897.1102.5
200996.7102.9
201097.7100.6
201197.099.1
201297.798.1
201398.198.4
201498.497.9
201598.397.9
201698.198.6
201797.497.9
201897.897.4
201998.597.8
202098.899.2
202198.496.6
202297.4100.0
202397.1100.7
202497.1100.7

Goods

  • Texas
  • Arizona
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
TexasArizona
200897.1103.0
200996.1106.4
201098.1100.1
201196.599.0
201297.698.3
201397.697.6
201497.497.7
201597.198.5
201698.497.8
201797.197.2
201897.195.9
201997.996.0
202098.2100.1
202198.595.1
202297.298.1
202398.197.9
202498.195.4

Housing (rents)

  • Texas
  • Arizona
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
TexasArizona
200888.0103.3
200988.299.9
201089.396.9
201189.794.8
201291.195.2
201391.493.6
201493.692.7
201594.093.8
201695.692.4
201795.293.5
201895.294.3
201995.893.6
202095.897.9
202195.6102.3
202297.0106.2
202397.5108.6
202496.5106.8

Utilities

  • Texas
  • Arizona
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
TexasArizona
2008101.496.4
200996.296.3
201098.1104.3
201194.4104.3
201293.1100.5
201395.799.0
201494.9100.3
201591.1101.0
201691.997.5
201788.099.0
201887.599.8
201987.792.6
202085.090.0
202186.287.8
202288.787.2
202392.483.3
202487.592.3

Other services

  • Texas
  • Arizona
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
TexasArizona
2008100.0102.3
2009100.4102.1
2010100.3102.1
2011100.1100.5
2012100.498.8
2013101.0100.9
2014101.199.9
2015101.198.7
201699.0101.5
201798.999.9
201899.899.4
2019100.5100.8
2020101.399.7
2021100.096.4
202298.2100.1
202396.6101.2
202497.1102.8

What incomes buy in each state

Income per person after adjusting for prices: $52,890 in Arizona, $58,219 in Texas

Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).

  • Texas
  • Arizona
  • United States

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.

Show the numbers
TexasArizonaUnited States
2008$46,068$38,966$45,816
2009$43,349$36,634$44,204
2010$44,078$37,162$44,808
2011$46,663$38,403$45,957
2012$47,554$39,284$46,796
2013$47,301$39,204$46,358
2014$48,959$40,281$47,661
2015$48,983$41,960$49,396
2016$47,686$42,568$49,828
2017$49,918$44,279$51,006
2018$51,551$45,675$52,242
2019$52,343$47,236$53,683
2020$53,181$50,292$56,514
2021$56,442$54,424$59,365
2022$56,452$50,935$57,104
2023$57,708$51,960$58,088
2024$58,219$52,890$59,195

More

Related state comparisons

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State income, sales and property taxes differ a lot between states and are not included.
  • Where you live inside the state. Statewide figures average cities and rural areas; the metro lists above show the spread.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider if housing is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels and incomes are for 2024; gas prices are weekly.

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