2023 Report: Cities in Arizona where Household Expenses are Highest and Lowest
How does living in Arizona state affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about the state’s household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities. On average, Arizona’s household expenses, doxo’s data reveals, are $2,053 in bills per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 54 cities and towns across Arizona, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Arizona and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Arizona cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Arizona residents pay $2,053 in household bills a month
The average Arizona household pays $2,053 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are:Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Arizona residents, overall, pay average household bill expenses: the state ranks 21st out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Slightly more expensive than Arizona is Minnesota, where residents pay $2,079 a month on average; slightly more affordable is Delaware, where residents pay $2,044.
The most expensive state for household expenses is Hawaii, where residents pay a whopping $3,070. The most affordable state, meanwhile, is West Virginia, where residents pay $1,530 per month.
Arizona’s household expenses, on average, are 0.3% higher than the national average of $2,046.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Arizona households spend 38% of their income on household expenses, which is higher than many states where households pay costlier expenses on average. For example, New Jersey is the 3rd most expensive state, at $2,727 on average per household per month, but this accounts for only 35% of local income.
Annually, Arizona residents pay $58 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Arizona by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Arizona
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $2,053 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $58 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 21 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 38%
- Difference from the National Average: 0.3% higher
Housing bill category drives Arizona high monthly bill expenses
The average Arizona household pays $2,053 in the 10 most common household bills per month. The average mortgage payment in Arizona is $1,337, and average rent is $1,189, compared to the national average mortgage bill of $1,321 and rent bill of $1,191.
Mobile phone is an area in which Arizona residents save considerably. The average household in the state pays $112 a month for mobile bills, compared to the national average of $119.
Auto insurance is also more affordable in Arizona. While US residents on average spend $207 per month on car insurance, in Arizona they spend just $202.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Arizona Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Arizona Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Arizona Percent +/- National Average ($2,046) |
| Mortgage | $1,337 | $1,321 | 1% higher |
| Rent | $1,189 | $1,191 | 0.2% lower |
| Auto Loan | $490 | $467 | 5% higher |
| Utilities | $357 | $351 | 2% higher |
| Auto Insurance | $202 | $207 | 2% lower |
| Cable & Internet | $110 | $118 | 7% lower |
| Health Insurance | $130 | $120 | 8% higher |
| Mobile Phone | $112 | $119 | 6% lower |
| Alarm & Security | $84 | $84 | 0% lower |
| Life Insurance | $88 | $89 | 1% lower |
| Total | $2,053 | $2,046 | 0.3% higher |
Paradise Valley tops the list of most expensive cities for Arizona household bills
Residents of Paradise Valley pay the highest household bills in the state of Arizona, at an average of $3,391 per month. Scottsdale comes second in the rankings, with residents paying $2,740 on average per month.
In proportion to household income, however, Paradise Valley’s bills are a better deal for local residents than Scottsdale is. While Paradise Valley’s residents spend 24% of their income on average on bills, in Scottsdale this rate shoots up to 34%.
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive Arizona Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 54) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 1 | Paradise Valley | $3,391 | 24% |
| 2 | Scottsdale | $2,740 | 34% |
| 3 | Queen Creek | $2,564 | 32% |
| 4 | Cave Creek | $2,550 | 30% |
| 5 | Litchfield Park | $2,489 | 30% |
| 6 | Goodyear | $2,481 | 35% |
| 7 | Buckeye | $2,472 | 40% |
| 8 | Laveen | $2,432 | 37% |
| 9 | Sedona | $2,417 | 49% |
| 10 | Chandler | $2,352 | 33% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Douglas is the most affordable Arizona city for household bills
Out of 54 cities and towns, Douglas is the most affordable place in Arizona, with residents paying $1,412 on average for household bills. Household bills account for 44% of local income in Douglas.
Kingman comes in at the second most affordable town or city in Arizona, with residents paying $1,417 per month on average.
Also on the list of 10 least expensive cities in Arizona are Apache Junction ($1,452 per month), Nogales ($1,486 per month), and Green Valley ($1,489 per month).
10 Most Affordable Arizona Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (45-54 out of 54) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household* | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 45 | Rio Rico | $1,564 | 36% |
| 46 | Bullhead City | $1,546 | 43% |
| 47 | Safford | $1,535 | 35% |
| 48 | Chino Valley | $1,524 | 38% |
| 49 | Fort Mohave | $1,493 | 30% |
| 50 | Green Valley | $1,489 | 33% |
| 51 | Nogales | $1,486 | 61% |
| 52 | Apache Junction | $1,452 | 34% |
| 53 | Kingman | $1,417 | 36% |
| 54 | Douglas | $1,412 | 44% |
Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Arizona’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.