Cost of Living in Tucson, AZ (2026)

Tucson's cost of living is 3% below the US average. $100,000 here is worth about $103,203 nationally. Rent, homes and monthly costs.

Tucson has a cost-of-living index of 97 against a US average of 100 — about 3% below average. $100,000 of income here is worth roughly $103,203 at the national average.

What it costs to live in Tucson

MeasureTucsonUS average
Cost-of-living index97100
Median rent$1,079/mo-
Median home value$242,200-
Median household income$54,546-
Population543,348-

Monthly cost breakdown in Tucson

Estimates use BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey shares scaled by the local cost-of-living index. Housing uses the city’s median rent; the owning column uses a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down on the median home.

CategoryRentingOwning
Housing$1,079$1,407
Transport$722$722
Food$568$568
Healthcare$357$357
Other$1,268$1,268
Total$3,995$4,322

Affordability in Tucson

Median rent takes about 23.7% of the median household income in Tucson — comfortably inside the 30% rule of thumb.

The median home costs 4.4x the median household income. Three times income is the traditional comfort line; five times is where affordability usually breaks down.

Highest-paying roles in Tucson

RoleTypical salaryWorth nationally
Marketing Manager$111,390$114,958
Software Developer$111,310$114,876
Mechanical Engineer$105,160$108,529
Data Scientist$95,960$99,034
Physical Therapist$95,890$98,962
Registered Nurse$88,030$90,850
Financial Analyst$80,880$83,471
Dental Hygienist$78,308$80,817

“Worth nationally” adjusts each salary for Tucson’s cost of living, so you can compare offers between cities on equal terms.

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Frequently asked questions

Tucson has a cost-of-living index of 97 against a US average of 100, so it is about 3% below the national average. In practical terms, $100,000 of income in Tucson has roughly the purchasing power of $103,203 at the national average.

A common benchmark is keeping rent at or under 30% of gross income. At Tucson's median rent of $1,079/month that implies about $43,160 a year before tax. The median household in Tucson earns $54,546.

Renting, a single household spends roughly $3,995 a month in Tucson across housing, transport, food, healthcare and everything else. Buying at the median home price, the estimate is about $4,322 a month including a 30-year mortgage at 6.7% with 10% down.

The median home in Tucson costs $242,200, which is 4.4x the median household income of $54,546. Lenders traditionally treat 3x as comfortable and about 5x as stretched, so Tucson is manageable but tight.