Columbus, GA vs Phoenix, AZ
Moving from Columbus to Phoenix? Here's what changes — from your equivalent salary to housing ($209,527 → $448,352 median home) and taxes.
Columbus vs Phoenix at a glance
Bars scaled to the range across all 200 metros; labels show actual values.
To keep the same standard of living as $100,000 in Columbus, GA, you'd need about $117,824 in Phoenix, AZ (+$17,824).
Livability — Columbus, GA: 76 · Phoenix, AZ: 62 (0–100).
What your home budget buys
A $500,000 home budget gets you about 4,892 sqft in Columbus vs 2,063 sqft in Phoenix ($102 vs $242 per sqft).
Annual cost breakdown (at $100,000)
| Category | Columbus, GA | Phoenix, AZ | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $15,336 | $20,904 | +$5,568 |
| Groceries | $4,816 | $4,919 | +$103 |
| Transportation | $3,515 | $3,960 | +$445 |
| Utilities | $1,656 | $1,668 | +$12 |
| Insurance | $2,100 | $1,800 | −$300 |
| Taxes | $9,327 | $7,280 | −$2,047 |
| Total | $36,750 | $40,531 | +$3,781 |
Side by side
| Metric | Columbus, GA | Phoenix, AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-of-living index | 88.8 | 104.7 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.87% | 4.88% |
| Population growth (5-yr) | 5.2% | 6.7% |
| Air quality (median AQI) | 49 | 86 |
| Big Mac price (est.) | $5.06 | $5.96 |
| Median home price | $209,527 | $448,352 |
| Home price ÷ income | 3.8× | 5.6× |
| 1-yr home appreciation | 3.0% | -1.7% |
| Price per square foot | $102 | $242 |
| Median rent | $1,278 | $1,742 |
| Total tax burden (% income) | 8.9% | 9.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.38% | 8.38% |
| Capital gains tax | 5.39% | 2.50% |
| Property tax rate | 0.79% | 0.51% |
| Healthcare (annual) | $6,400 | $6,300 |
| Childcare (annual, infant) | $9,500 | $12,500 |
| Vehicle property tax | None | 1.68% |
| Avg commute (min) | 22 | 27 |
| Home insurance / yr | $2,100 | $1,800 |
| Auto insurance / yr | $1,900 | $1,900 |
| Flood insurance / yr | $700 | $550 |
| Earthquake insurance / yr | $100 | $100 |
| Electricity ¢/kWh | 15.4 | 15.5 |
| Gas $/gal | 3.15 | 3.60 |
| Violent crime /100k | 370 | 430 |
| Avg summer high °F | 89 | 104 |
| Avg winter low °F | 34 | 41 |
| Permit difficulty (1–5) | 2 | 2 |