Cost of Living: El Centro, CA vs Phoenix, AZ
Quick rent-and-take-home comparison
Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in El Centro, CA versus $4,370/mo in Phoenix, AZ. In the model, rent is about 14.45% of gross in El Centro, CA versus 21.24% in Phoenix, AZ, so El Centro, CA tends to feel more affordable for rent.
Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between El Centro, CA and Phoenix, AZ.
At a glance
- Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): El Centro, CA
- Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): El Centro, CA
- Lower home prices: El Centro, CA
- Higher median household income: Phoenix, AZ
Cost of Living Index
El Centro, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Phoenix, AZ: 102.4 (U.S. = 100)
El Centro, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than Phoenix, AZ, so a given salary generally stretches further there.
Median Rent
El Centro, CA: $943/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Phoenix, AZ: $1,385/mo
Median rent in Phoenix, AZ is $442/mo higher than in El Centro, CA.
Median Home Price
El Centro, CA: $291,100 · Phoenix, AZ: $381,900
Median home price in Phoenix, AZ is $90,800 higher than in El Centro, CA.
Median Household Income
El Centro, CA: $56,093 · Phoenix, AZ: $77,041
Phoenix, AZ has a higher median household income than El Centro, CA by $20,948.
El Centro, CA overview · Phoenix, AZ overview · Popular comparisons