Median rent is 12% lower in Mesa ($1,620/mo vs $1,841/mo). Buying is cheaper in Mesa, where the median home runs $408,000 versus $465,900. Households earn more in Plano ($112,253 vs $82,752 a year).
City A
Mesa, AZ
City B
Plano, TX
How much would you need to earn in Plano, TX to maintain your standard of living from Mesa, AZ?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Mesa
Arizona
Plano
Texas
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Mesa at $1,620/mo compared to $1,841/mo in Plano (12% gap). Median home values are within 12% of each other: $408,000 in Mesa and $465,900 in Plano.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Mesa
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Plano
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Mesa has cleaner air on average: 32.0 AQI (Good) compared to 55.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Plano if you prioritize higher median household income ($112,253/yr).
Pick Mesa if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,620/mo median).
Pick Mesa if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 32.0).
Is Mesa cheaper than Plano?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Mesa vs Plano?
Median rent is $1,620/mo in Mesa, AZ and $1,841/mo in Plano, TX. Mesa, AZ has the lower rent by about 12%.
Which has higher salaries — Mesa or Plano?
Median household income is $82,752 in Mesa, AZ and $112,253 in Plano, TX. Plano, TX has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Mesa, AZ has better air quality on average: 32.0 AQI versus 55.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Mesa or Plano?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Plano to match my Mesa income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
