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Phoenix vs Seattle: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Phoenix is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 8% lower than in Seattle, and housing runs 25% lower. Seattle pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $72,500 against $51,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Seattle ($65,500 against $49,500 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Phoenix runs 7% lower than Seattle overall, and housing runs 20% lower.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Seattle, you need about $93,000 in Phoenix. To keep $100,000 from Phoenix, you need about $107,500 in Seattle.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $51,500 in Phoenix, $72,500 in Seattle.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $117,500 in Phoenix, $182,500 in Seattle.
- Open postings in our data: 2,893 in Phoenix from 443 employers, 4,540 in Seattle from 533 employers.
- Unemployment: 4.9% in Phoenix, 4.8% in Seattle (BLS).
Phoenix and Seattle side by side
| Measure | Phoenix | Seattle | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 103.3 | 111.1 | Phoenix |
| Housing price level | 121.2 | 151.3 | Phoenix |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $51,500 | $72,500 | Seattle |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $49,500 | $65,500 | Seattle |
| Median pay in open postings | $117,500 | $182,500 | Seattle |
| Postings that list pay | 20.5% | 61.3% | Seattle |
| Open postings in our data | 2,893 | 4,540 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 443 | 533 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 4.9% | 4.8% | Seattle |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 32.6% | 41.8% | Phoenix |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 44 | Phoenix |
| Entry-level share of postings | 11.6% | 7.2% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 3% | 7.9% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | +12.8% | -32.4% | Phoenix |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
Phoenix prices sit 103.3 against a US average of 100 and Seattle at 111.1. The biggest difference is housing: 121.2 in Phoenix against 151.3 in Seattle. Utilities are 1% higher in Phoenix. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | Phoenix | Seattle | Phoenix vs Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 103.3 | 111.1 | 7% lower |
| Housing | 121.2 | 151.3 | 20% lower |
| Goods | 95 | 104 | 9% lower |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 92.8 | 1% higher |
| Other services | 104 | 106.8 | 3% lower |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Seattle to Phoenix; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in Seattle | Matching salary in Phoenix | If only housing moved | Salary in Phoenix | Matching salary in Seattle | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $46,500 | $40,000 | $50,000 | $54,000 | $62,500 |
| $75,000 | $69,500 | $60,000 | $75,000 | $80,500 | $93,500 |
| $100,000 | $93,000 | $80,000 | $100,000 | $107,500 | $125,000 |
| $125,000 | $116,000 | $100,000 | $125,000 | $134,500 | $156,000 |
| $150,000 | $139,500 | $120,000 | $150,000 | $161,500 | $187,000 |
| $200,000 | $186,000 | $160,000 | $200,000 | $215,000 | $249,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $44.70 an hour in Phoenix for someone earning $100,000 in Seattle.
Pay for the same job
Across the 55 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Phoenix for 1 and higher in Seattle for 54. After local prices are counted, Phoenix comes out ahead in 4 and Seattle in 51. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is general and operations managers: $98,600 in Phoenix against $146,000 in Seattle.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Phoenix median | Seattle median | Phoenix adjusted for prices | Seattle adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $131,800 | $167,300 | $127,500 | $150,500 |
| Retail Salespersons | $36,000 | $42,100 | $34,800 | $37,900 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $36,900 | $48,200 | $35,700 | $43,400 |
| General and Operations Managers | $98,600 | $146,000 | $95,400 | $131,400 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $34,500 | $39,200 | $33,400 | $35,200 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $46,400 | $53,600 | $44,900 | $48,200 |
| Registered Nurses | $100,800 | $128,300 | $97,600 | $115,400 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $45,000 | $47,700 | $43,500 | $43,000 |
| Cashiers | $34,900 | $44,200 | $33,800 | $39,800 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $37,700 | $46,800 | $36,500 | $42,100 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $47,500 | $57,300 | $46,000 | $51,500 |
| Office Clerks, General | $47,700 | $53,300 | $46,100 | $48,000 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $36,300 | $46,500 | $35,100 | $41,800 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $59,800 | $71,200 | $57,900 | $64,100 |
| Project Management Specialists | $100,800 | $130,400 | $97,500 | $117,300 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Pay employers are offering right now
The wages above are what people earn in jobs they already hold. Open postings show what employers are offering today. In the job families where both areas have at least 15 postings that list pay, the median listed salary is higher in Phoenix for 0 of 6 and higher in Seattle for 6. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | Phoenix median listed pay | Postings | Seattle median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $111,000 | 57 | $130,000 | 166 |
| Product and design | $109,000 | 18 | $190,000 | 129 |
| Operations and logistics | $107,500 | 36 | $141,500 | 108 |
| Engineering (other) | $126,500 | 39 | $160,000 | 99 |
| Legal and compliance | $152,500 | 17 | $200,000 | 65 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $123,500 | 19 | $165,500 | 32 |
Only postings that list a salary are counted. Median of the middle of each listed range. Job families need at least 15 such postings in both areas to appear.
Who is hiring
Software & Technology is the largest hiring industry in both areas. The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in Phoenix: Carvana (155), Axon (96), Lucid Motors (86), Intel (81), Marketechinternationalcorporationusa (77).
- Largest posters in Seattle: SpaceX (467), Anthropic (183), CoreWeave (146), Shield AI (137), DoorDash USA (134).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 30 days in Phoenix and 44 in Seattle; 32.6% and 41.8% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 11.6% of postings in Phoenix and 7.2% in Seattle; senior and above are 34% and 52.5%.
- Fully remote roles are 3% of postings in Phoenix and 7.9% in Seattle.
- Indeed's postings index sits 12.8% above its February 2020 level in Phoenix and 32.4% below in Seattle.
- 20.5% of postings in Phoenix list pay, against 61.3% in Seattle.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Phoenix) stretches it further: $100,000 in Seattle has the buying power of about $93,000 in Phoenix.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Seattle comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($65,500 against $49,500).
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (121.2 vs 151.3) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Phoenix or Seattle?
Phoenix is cheaper. Overall prices run 8% lower than in Seattle, and housing runs 25% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in Phoenix to match $100,000 in Seattle?
About $93,000 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (103.3 in Phoenix, 111.1 in Seattle). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Phoenix or Seattle?
Seattle has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $72,500 against $51,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Seattle has the higher paycheck power: $65,500 against $49,500 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Seattle has more: 4,540 against 2,893. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
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Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology