{"id":392934,"date":"2025-11-20T19:44:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T19:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/392934\/"},"modified":"2025-11-20T19:44:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T19:44:13","slug":"how-much-money-does-it-take-to-live-comfortably-in-phoenix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/392934\/","title":{"rendered":"How much money does it take to live comfortably in Phoenix?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once upon a time, Americans flocked to the Sonoran Desert to enjoy a comfortable, sun-drenched and air-conditioned lifestyle at an affordable price. The AC and the heat haven\u2019t gone away, but as Phoenix has become increasingly expensive <\/a>in the last decade, it\u2019s worth asking: How much money do you need to live the good life in these high times of late-stage American capitalism?<\/p>\n

A new study<\/a> from travel website Upgraded Points endeavored to answer that question \u2014 not just for the Phoenix metro area, but for cities across the United States. The analysis used data from the Economic Policy Institute and the U.S. Census Bureau that estimate the annual cost of living and median income.<\/p>\n

Obviously, comfort is more of a subjective psychological state than anything else \u2014 the richest person<\/a> might have every material possession they can dream of yet still be uncomfortable. But for the purposes of analysis, \u201cliving comfortably\u201d means three things \u2014 being able to pay for expenses like housing, food, transportation, health care and child care; having the means to put away 20% of income for savings or debt payments; and using 30% for discretionary spending.<\/p>\n

\u201cAcross the country, Americans are discovering that \u2018living comfortably\u2019 now carries a much higher price tag,\u201d the study noted. \u201cEssentials like rent, groceries, and child care have grown more expensive in nearly every region \u2014 and, in some cities, families need to earn well into six figures just to keep up with the basics.\u201d<\/p>\n

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As it turns out, being comfortable in Phoenix ain\u2019t all that cheap, according to the study. It found that even single Valley residents need a six-figure salary to qualify.<\/p>\n

In the Phoenix metro area \u2014 which includes cities like Scottsdale, Mesa and Chandler \u2014 a single adult needs to make slightly more than $110,000 to reach the capitalist nirvana of living comfortably. That reflects the city\u2019s status as an increasingly expensive place to live, but it\u2019s still in the middle of the pack nationwide. Out of the 53 largest metro areas in the United States, Phoenix\u2019s required salary for a comfortable financial existence was the 21st-highest. It\u2019s also slightly higher than the national average of nearly $107,000.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

The statewide figure for single adults to live comfortably in Arizona isn\u2019t far off at more than $104,000.<\/p>\n

Most people are not making that much and, by that logic, living in discomfort. The study noted that the median income for a single person in the Phoenix metro area is about $50,000.<\/p>\n

For couples and families, the amount of money needed for comfortable living in the Valley is even higher. Here is how much the study found they need to make:<\/p>\n