City comparison
Tucson, AZ vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 8.6% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $108,600 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,081 a month in Tucson, AZ versus $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 17% of take-home pay in Tucson, 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 Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.9% moving from Tucson, AZ to Tulsa, OK ($108,455 → $106,437), while prices change by −7.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.6% in real buying power.
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
- 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
| Tucson, AZ | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.9 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,072 in Tulsa | $108,611 in Tucson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,081/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 | 17% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,760 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Tucson-Nogales, AZ | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Tucson, AZ MSA and Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Tucson, AZ and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Tucson | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 91.8 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 99.8 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 96.9 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Tucson, AZ → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,663/yr.
96 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Tucson, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,663/yr.
44 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Tucson, AZ is in the Tucson-Nogales, AZ pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Tucson, AZ to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Tucson, AZ | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Tucson → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,893 | $61,722 | +6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,095 | $74,678 | +6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,205 | $89,508 | +6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,455 | $106,437 | +6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,162 | $125,776 | +6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Tucson, AZ | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Tucson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $47,220 | $48,220 | $52,372 (+10.9%) |
| Software Developers | $123,710 | $108,730 | $118,092 (−4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $81,320 | $88,322 (+15.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $94,110 | $84,790 | $92,091 (−2.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.