Skip to content
CityLedger

Miami vs Phoenix

Metro-area medians — Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL Metro Area vs Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Phoenix comes out ahead, winning 8 of the 10 clearly-decided measures.

Phoenix is both cheaper to live in (about 10% less) and higher-earning (about 12% more) than Miami. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches further in Phoenix.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Miami, FL
$61,314
take-home / yr · 18% to tax
$53,711
real value after local prices
Phoenix, AZ
$59,814
take-home / yr · 20% to tax
$57,894
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Phoenix leaves you about $4,183/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure
Miami
Phoenix
Livability (CityLedger)
41/100
58/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
114.2
103.3
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$70,628
$87,240
Median household income
$80,625
$90,133
Median rent
$2,083/mo
$1,819/mo
Median home value
$510,600
$470,600
Unemployment
4.5%
4.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher
38.7%
36.9%
Average commute
30.2 min
27.6 min
Air quality (median AQI)
51
86
Avg temperature
77°F
76°F

Choose Miami for

  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
  • + Air quality (median AQI)
Full Miami profile →

Choose Phoenix for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
  • + Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
  • + Median household income
  • + Median rent
  • + Median home value
  • + Unemployment
  • + Average commute
Full Phoenix profile →

Miami vs Phoenix — frequently asked

Is Miami cheaper than Phoenix?
Phoenix is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 10% below Miami's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Miami or Phoenix?
Phoenix has the higher median household income — $90,133 versus $80,625 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 12% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Miami or Phoenix?
A paycheck stretches further in Phoenix. Adjusted for local prices, the median income is worth $87,240 there versus $70,628 in Miami.
Which has cheaper rent, Miami or Phoenix?
Phoenix has cheaper rent — a median of $1,819/mo versus $2,083/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).