Cost of Living: Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale, CA versus $4,370/mo in Phoenix, AZ. In the model, rent is about 44.66% of gross in Sunnyvale, CA versus 21.24% in Phoenix, AZ, so Phoenix, AZ tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Sunnyvale, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Phoenix, AZ
$4,370/mo
Income level: near
Rent share (1BR) in Sunnyvale, CA
44.66%
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 Sunnyvale, CA and Phoenix, AZ.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

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

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

Median Rent

Sunnyvale, CA: $2,912/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Phoenix, AZ: $1,385/mo

Median rent in Sunnyvale, CA is $1,527/mo higher than in Phoenix, AZ.

Median Home Price

Sunnyvale, CA: $1,816,600 · Phoenix, AZ: $381,900

Median home price in Sunnyvale, CA is $1,434,700 higher than in Phoenix, AZ.

Median Household Income

Sunnyvale, CA: $181,862 · Phoenix, AZ: $77,041

Sunnyvale, CA has a higher median household income than Phoenix, AZ by $104,821.

Sunnyvale, CA overview · Phoenix, AZ overview · Popular comparisons