City comparison
Phoenix, AZ vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 15.8% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $115,800 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 $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,663 a year higher in Tulsa, OK than in Phoenix, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.4% moving from Phoenix, AZ to Tulsa, OK ($111,338 → $106,437), while prices change by −13.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +10.7% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (pricier)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Phoenix, AZ | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,351 in Tulsa | $115,807 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,663/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,663/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Phoenix → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $61,722 | +10.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $74,678 | +10.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $89,508 | +10.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $106,437 | +10.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $125,776 | +10.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $48,220 | $55,842 (−5.6%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $108,730 | $125,917 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $81,320 | $94,174 (+16.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $84,790 | $98,193 (−2.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.