Maricopa County · Arizona
Mesa cost of living (AZ)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Mesa costs 3.3% above the national average — all-items price level 103.3, rank 27 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $103,316 here. Housing is the reason, at 121.2.
- All items
- 103.3US average = 100
- Housing
- 121.221.2% above the national average
- Goods
- 95.05.0% below the national average
- Other services
- 104.04.0% above the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 95.0 | -5.0% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 121.2 | +21.2% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 93.3 | -6.7% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 104.0 | +4.0% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
Reading the Mesa price level
What the 103.3 figure actually means for a household here.
Mesa prices sit 3.3% above the US average — an all-items parity of 103.3, rank 27 of 94 covered metros. Moderately above average. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Housing drives it: 121.2, 21.2% above average. Utilities pull the other way at 93.3. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 27.9 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Mesa do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $103,316 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $74,096 median household income in Mesa is worth $71,718 in national-average dollars, 8.7% below the $78,538 US median. Local pay does not cover the local price level.
Parities are published for Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
What your salary is worth in Mesa, AZ
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (103.3 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $71,718
- Needed to match US average
- $76,553
- Monthly difference
- $205
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$74,096 median household income in Mesa is worth $71,718 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 103.3.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is Mesa expensive?
- Yes — 3.3% above the US average, rank 27 of 94 covered metros. housing is the component furthest from average at 121.2.
- What salary do you need to live in Mesa, AZ?
- $103,316 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $74,096, worth $71,718 after adjusting for the 103.3 price level.
- Why is the cost of living high in Mesa?
- Housing at 121.2 versus utilities at 93.3. A 27.9-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More Mesa data
Other Mesa datasets on this site.
- Mesa population and income
- Mesa sales tax rate
- Mesa property tax
- Mesa home values and rent
- Mesa crime rates
- Mesa public schools
- Mesa weather normals
- Mesa commute times
- Mesa jobs and wages
Statewide: Arizona cities · Arizona ZIP codes · Arizona sales tax · Arizona counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.