What is the cost of living in Phoenix/Scottsdale?

I'm considering a move to arizona in the near future...I live in chicago now, and with today's 3 BELOW weather arizona's looking REAL GOOD! But on average, how much is rent, utilities, gas, public transportation, etc? Also, is there an abundance of walgreens? (if you've lived or been to Chicago, you know they're everywhere!) I work for walgreens and would like to continue to do so until I finish school. I'd really like to find out if it's worth the move.What is the cost of living in Phoenix/Scottsdale?
i currently live in the chandler area and i really like it.



my boyfriend moved here from chicago about 4 years ago and he likes it too. says the weather is perfect.



scottsdale is considered upscale and is largely populated by elderly who are retired. rent is pretty spendy and the apts/houses tend to be older for a reasonable price range.



phoenix is hit or miss-the downtown area and anything closely surrounding it is BAD. i work in a large hospital right in the heart of downtown in a trauma icu and you don't want to know the stuff i see due to the violence that occurs.



Tempe is a college town-home to ASU. i lived there for a while but didn't like it. i'm 28 and a mom of 3 so the loud parties and trashed houses surrounding mine weren't appealing to me. but the town itself is ok-lots of places to hang out and rent isn't bad. my 3 bedroom house ran 850/month and utilities were on average about 150.00



Mesa is old and run-down in most places. the crime rate is fairly high as well unless you go out far east mesa where the new homes are being built



chandler/gilbert is the area i live in and i really like it. my neighborhood is older but totally safe-i would have no problem leaving my door unlocked at night (but i dont). there are lots of places close by to hang out at and do things. rent in this area will run you anywhere from 750-1200 depending on what type of apt or house you are looking for.



there are walgreens EVERYWHERE so finding a job shouldn't be hard at all-plus the corporate office for their pharmacies is located in tempe.



utilities run about 60 a month in the winter for an apt but i know in my 1700 square foot house i can get the bill to run the same in the winter. summers can range from 150-250 depending on how often you run your air conditioner. temps can easily get up to 120 during that time.



overall i think the move is a good one if you like warm weather. there are plenty of college options here as well. my boyfriend loves it here-it's hardly ever cold and he doesn't miss the snow and ice at all!!
Scottsdale is high priced compared to Phoenix or Mesa.

The average home in Scottsdale right now is $450,000 but a comparable home in Phoenix can run half that amount.



Rents in Scottsdale are also three to four times higher than Phoenix or Mesa or Glendale.



As for Walgreens, they are everywhere and building more and more as we speak.



I have lived in the Phoenix area for 30 years and it is expensive to live here and getting more and more polluted and crowded as people move here.

If you can live in 120+ Degree heat in the summer, you will love it, but be prepared to pay for electric air conditioner bills.

The average air conditioner bill from April through October is $220.00 for a 1400 sq foot home with the air set at 80 Degrees.What is the cost of living in Phoenix/Scottsdale?
I am from California and also considering a move to Phoenix, now for those who are from Phoenix and say it is expensive to live there just remember that compared to Chicago and San Francisco Phoenix is inexpensive. I take it you are most likely looking for an apartment not a home so the rent in Phoenix will be considerably less than Chicago, you can easily find a decent studio or 1bdrm for $500.00 and under. If you can afford 600+ then you will have no problem finding an apt in a nice area some even include utilities. I'd say check out Craigslist.org. Also Careerbuilders.com is a good website for jobs.
This website will answer everything you want to know compared to the rest of the US. I am from Arizona I don't live there now I am moving back soon though. I think the cost of living there is high but according to this website Phoenix is in line with the average cost of living in the US. The average rent is 650 per month right now the average gas price is $2.15 per gallon utilities would be impossible to figure too many variables. There are Walgreen's there. the average home price is about $160,000 in Phoenix. There are several suburbs that are much more expensive. Phoenix has a lot of crime but I guess it wouldn't be a big deal if you are from Chicago. I love Arizona I think it is a great place. In phoenix you can wear short sleeve shirts year roundWhat is the cost of living in Phoenix/Scottsdale?
DON'T DO IT! I'm not sure where in Chicago you live, if you live in the suburbs and spend most of your time there you will probably like it here. However, if you live in the city and like that type of atmosphere, forget about it. I just moved here last May from Chicago, and it was probably the worst decision I have ever made. The weather is the only good thing about living here. Everywhere you go you have to drive, there is NO reliable public transportation. Traffic is retarded, it takes me 40 minutes to drive 7 miles to work every morning. Rent is not that cheap (for anywhere decent). The nightlife is pathetic and there are an abundance of crappy chain restaurants. On the plus side, there are tons of Walgreens though!
I just had to jump in. Arizona was a cool place to live in the 70's and 80's. Today you could not pay me to live there. Try Indiana. Wide open farm land, dirt cheap housing, good schools, and really great people. It will cost you 10 time's as much to live in Arizona.