Colorado vs Arizona: cost of living
On a $75,000 salary, a single filer keeps about $232 more a month in Arizona than in Colorado after 2026 taxes, rent, electricity, gas, car insurance, health insurance and groceries. Median rent is 8% lower in Arizona.
| A month, single filer on $75,000 | Colorado | Arizona | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take-home pay | $4,917 | $4,994 | +$77 |
| Rent (median, incl. utilities the renter pays) | $1,822 | $1,672 | −$150 |
| Electricity (average home bill) | $116 | $162 | +$46 |
| Gas for 1,000 miles a month | $162 | $166 | +$4 |
| Car insurance, full coverage | $217 | $162 | −$55 |
| Health insurance, your share of a job plan (U.S. average) | $139 | $139 | +$0 |
| Groceries (U.S. average household) | $519 | $519 | +$0 |
| Left over after these | $1,942 | $2,174 | +$232 |
Sources: take-home pay from 2026 IRS brackets, SSA wage base and Tax Foundation state rates; rent from Census ACS; electricity from EIA; gas from AAA (1,000 miles at 27.2 mpg); car insurance from Insurify; groceries are the U.S. average household from BLS (2024) in both states. Each figure has its own date, shown on the linked page. Our calculation, a rough guide, not an exact budget.
Compare two states
Same salary in both states, single filer, 2026 taxes. Each cost is that state's average from its own source and date; groceries use the U.S. average in both. Electricity can be partly counted in gross rent. "I own a home" swaps rent for home insurance and property tax but leaves out the mortgage payment. Our calculation, a rough guide.
Common questions
Is it cheaper to live in Colorado or Arizona?
Arizona, by the basics we track. On $75,000 a year, Arizona leaves about $232 more a month ($2,784 a year) after 2026 taxes, median rent, electricity, gas, car insurance, health insurance and groceries (our calculation).
What salary in Arizona equals $75,000 in Colorado?
About $70,900 a year. At that salary a single filer in Arizona keeps the same $1,942 a month after taxes and the same basics as $75,000 in Colorado (our calculation).
How do taxes compare between Colorado and Arizona?
Colorado has a flat 4.4% income tax and Arizona has a flat 2.5% income tax (Tax Foundation, 2026). On $75,000, take-home pay is about $4,917 a month in Colorado and $4,994 in Arizona.
How much is rent in Colorado vs Arizona?
The median rent is $1,822 a month in Colorado and $1,672 in Arizona (Census ACS).
Planning the move itself? See the full monthly budget for Colorado or Arizona, and the take-home pay calculators for Colorado and Arizona.