California has a lot going for it: beaches, celebrities, traffic, and a high cost of living…wait a minute. While people who don’t live in the state of California know it for San Francisco, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Disneyland, while the California residence are all too familiar with it’s high price-tags! And by reading this article, I could assume that you’re considering a move? So let’s look into the difference between the cost of living in California, specifically the Los Angeles area, and Phoenix, Arizona.
First of all, food and groceries in California weigh in at about 5.1% more, due to California’s close proximity to the ocean ports as well as crops grown in the state. However, even with that fact, Phoenix still costs less. Transportation is another big expense that makes a difference, and Phoenix comes out ahead, again! Los Angeles is 42.6% more than Phoenix, probably mostly contributed to by the price of gas. Gas prices in Phoenix will typically range from $2.50 to $3.00 per gallon. But gas in Los Angeles tends to be about $3.25-$3.75 per gallon. These may seem like small numbers, but when you fill up a 20 gallon tank every week, a $1.25 difference can mean more than $1,200 a year in savings!
But by far the most important and necessary expense of all is housing. Whether you rent or own, everyone needs somewhere to live. In fact, it makes up the largest amount of most Americans budgets. The median home value in Phoenix is $237,700. Los Angeles clocks in at $615,000. That mean that Phoenix is about 62% cheaper than Los Angeles. What does that mean for you? For the price of a nice two bedroom home in Los Angeles, California, you could have an expansive home located on a golf course with a resort style pool in your backyard! Your dream home isn’t far out of reach with the low cost of living that Arizona!
The price difference between these two cities is insane. Looking at how much money you could save by leaving Southern California, you can see why people are packing up and moving to Phoenix in droves. There’s a lot to offer here, but it’s up to you to come check it out!
