Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tempe, AZ and Saratoga Springs, NY

For one person, living costs are similar in Tempe, AZ and in Saratoga Springs, NY: $2,880 and $2,906 a month, rent and utilities included.

140

Cost of Living Index in Tempe, AZ
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Tempe, AZ Living Index
141

Cost of Living Index in Saratoga Springs, NY
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Saratoga Springs, NY Living Index

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Tempe, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,880

/mo nomad

Saratoga Springs, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tempe, AZ and in Saratoga Springs, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tempe, AZ and in Saratoga Springs, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,880 in Tempe, AZ versus $2,906 in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Tempe, AZ $2,880
Saratoga Springs, NY $2,906

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,836 in Tempe, AZ versus $4,031 in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Tempe, AZ $3,836
Saratoga Springs, NY $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,792 in Tempe, AZ versus $5,156 in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Tempe, AZ $4,792
Saratoga Springs, NY $5,156

Living in Tempe, AZ costs roughly 1% less than in Saratoga Springs, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tempe, AZ 113% above, Saratoga Springs, NY 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.77 $19.77

$18.10 $18.10

9.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 $81.6

$78.4 $78.4

4.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 $13.17

$8.12 $8.12

62.19%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$5.29 $5.29

-0.76%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.62 $2.62

18.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.83 $1.83

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 $6.01

$6.42 $6.42

-6.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 $7.17

$7.62 $7.62

-5.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.91 $0.91

6.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.41 $3.41

23.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$4.41 $4.41

40.36%

Eggs

$4.68 $4.68

$4.06 $4.06

15.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.65 $13.65

$11.00 $11.00

24.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.44 $13.44

$13.59 $13.59

-1.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$18.03 $18.03

-3.61%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$6.49 $6.49

-17.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.36 $1.36

44.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$5.16 $5.16

-20.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$6.83 $6.83

-27.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.00 $3.00

-15.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.26 $3.26

-8.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.33 $2.33

-4.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.65 $2.65

-14.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 $10.89

$12.85 $12.85

-15.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 $13.65

$15.11 $15.11

-9.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.92 $2.92

-17.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$4.81 $4.81

-34.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 $64.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.98 $3.98

-28.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$2.20 $2.20

-37.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.42 $35.42

$29.52 $29.52

19.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.90 $0.90

30.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.7K $36.7K

$33.7K $33.7K

9.04%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K $25.8K

$24.9K $24.9K

3.65%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$240 $240

$230 $230

4.47%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$61.4 $61.4

$53.1 $53.1

15.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.0 $78.0

$57.4 $57.4

35.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 $30.16

$60.7 $60.7

-50.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.16 $15.16

$20.22 $20.22

-25.02%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 $13.80

$14.98 $14.98

-7.88%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,107 $1,107

$1,425 $1,425

-22.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K $15.4K

$17.7K $17.7K

-13.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 $62.6

$54.2 $54.2

15.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.61 $44.61

$48.93 $48.93

-8.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 $98.4

$95.3 $95.3

3.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$101 $101

11.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,894 $1,894

$2,548 $2,548

-25.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 $1,460

$1,588 $1,588

-8.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$3,008 $3,008

-15.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,683 $1,683

$2,236 $2,236

-24.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,960 $3,960

$4,930 $4,930

-19.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.66

-2.40%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Tempe, AZ: October 12, 2026

Last update for Saratoga Springs, NY: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tempe, AZ

$1.5K 50.7%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$1.6K 54.7% 8.8% $129

Groceries & Markets

Tempe, AZ

$431 15%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$439 15.1% 1.8% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tempe, AZ

$380 13.2%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$341 11.7% 10.3% $39

Eating Out

Tempe, AZ

$327 11.4%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$298 10.3% 9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Tempe, AZ

$143 5%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$135 4.6% 6% $8.5

Getting Around

Tempe, AZ

$82 2.8%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$15 * 0.5% 81.7% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Tempe, AZ

$58 2%

Saratoga Springs, NY

$91 3.1% 57% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,894 in Tempe, AZ and $2,548 in Saratoga Springs, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saratoga Springs, NY pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Tempe, AZ vs $78.0 in Saratoga Springs, NY. Groceries flip the comparison at $431 vs $439, with Tempe, AZ cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Tempe, AZ

🇺🇸 Saratoga Springs, NY

🕒 Local time

02:35 2:35 AM

05:35 5:35 AM

3 h ahead of Tempe, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

161,719

28,491

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tempe, AZ Saratoga Springs, NY 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tempe, AZ
Saratoga Springs, NY

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tempe, AZ vs Saratoga Springs, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tempe, AZ wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Saratoga Springs, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tempe, AZ the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Saratoga Springs, NY. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,894 in Tempe, AZ versus $2,548 in Saratoga Springs, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Saratoga Springs, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,880 per month in Tempe, AZ versus $2,906 in Saratoga Springs, NY – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Tempe, AZ is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Tempe, AZ and Saratoga Springs, NY are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tempe, AZ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Saratoga Springs, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.