City comparison
Corpus Christi, TX vs Phoenix, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 11.5% higher than in Corpus Christi, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Corpus Christi, TX would need about $111,500 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,117 in Corpus Christi, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 17% in Corpus Christi, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Phoenix, AZ than in Corpus Christi, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.1% moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Phoenix, AZ ($106,955 → $111,338), while prices change by +11.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Corpus Christi, TX: price level 92.7 (cheaper)
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Corpus Christi, TX | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 103.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,487 in Phoenix | $89,697 in Corpus Christi |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,117/mo | $1,583/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,350 | $51,380 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ |
Rent areas: Corpus Christi, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Corpus Christi, TX and Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Corpus Christi | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.9 | 121.2 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 95.0 |
| Utilities | 81.0 | 93.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 104.0 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 103.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Corpus Christi, TX → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
38 Weak offer
Phoenix, AZ → Corpus Christi, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Corpus Christi, TX is in the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX pay area; Phoenix, AZ is in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Corpus Christi, TX to Phoenix, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Corpus Christi, TX | Phoenix, AZ | Real change, Corpus Christi → Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,023 | $64,564 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,042 | $78,117 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,943 | $93,629 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,955 | $111,338 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,389 | $131,568 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Corpus Christi, TX | Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix pay in Corpus Christi dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,210 | $59,180 | $53,082 (−11.8%) |
| Software Developers | $123,580 | $131,750 | $118,175 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,580 | $80,820 | $72,493 (−4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,690 | $100,830 | $90,441 (+9.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.