Cost of Living

Another interesting fact is that while Phoenix is a rapidly growing area, it’s not a pricey city. Consider these price comparisons:

• ‍Champaign-Urbana vs Los Angeles: 70% increase in cost of living‍
• Champaign-Urbana vs Phoenix: 14% increase in cost of living
  

Affordability is going to be critical to anyone who is considering joining, and I actually would wager a guess that of all the hub-airports-major-cities in the country, Phoenix is probably one of the cheapest places to live (and the most beautiful). I find this very exciting because I would very much like to move to a place that others can come and join the effort should they feel called to.

You can see this compared across the country with this map, which compares the amount $100 will buy you in each region across the continental US:

As you can see, in general the cost for living in a metro center is a higher cost of living. (Consider New York, Washington DC, Miami, Denver, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.) This is as well true for Phoenix (part of the yellow section in the bottom middle of AZ), but note as well that Phoenix is more affordable than any of those other major cities. (As well as Boston, Portland, Seattle, Tampa, Houston, Minneapolis, Pittsburg and others.)

Lots more information to compare Phoenix with where you live: Phoenix cost of living calculator.