Cost of Living: El Monte, 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 Monte, CA versus $4,370/mo in Phoenix, AZ. In the model, rent is about 24.43% of gross in El Monte, CA versus 21.24% in Phoenix, AZ, so Phoenix, AZ tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in El Monte, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: near
Take-home in Phoenix, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in El Monte, CA
24.43%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Phoenix, AZ
21.24%
COLI tier: mid-range

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between El Monte, CA and Phoenix, AZ.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): El Monte, CA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Phoenix, AZ
  • Lower home prices: Phoenix, AZ
  • Higher median household income: Phoenix, AZ

Cost of Living Index

El Monte, CA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Phoenix, AZ: 102.4 (U.S. = 100)

El Monte, CA has a lower cost-of-living index than Phoenix, AZ, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

El Monte, CA: $1,593/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Phoenix, AZ: $1,385/mo

Median rent in El Monte, CA is $208/mo higher than in Phoenix, AZ.

Median Home Price

El Monte, CA: $626,000 · Phoenix, AZ: $381,900

Median home price in El Monte, CA is $244,100 higher than in Phoenix, AZ.

Median Household Income

El Monte, CA: $64,484 · Phoenix, AZ: $77,041

Phoenix, AZ has a higher median household income than El Monte, CA by $12,557.

El Monte, CA overview · Phoenix, AZ overview · Popular comparisons