2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Tucson, AZ vs Carlsbad, CA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Carlsbad or is it cheaper to live in Tucson?
- Carlsbad is 59.7% more expensive than Tucson.

Which city has more affordable housing, Carlsbad or Tucson?
- Carlsbad housing costs are 320.2% more expensive than Tucson housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Tucson or is Health Care more affordable in Carlsbad.
- Health related expenses are 4.2% more in Carlsbad.
 Tucson, AZCarlsbad, CAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock154.9100
 Food & Groceries95.5  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock89.0100
 Housing93.2  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$1,320,200$338,100
 Utilities99  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock125.6100
 Miscellaneous98.6  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Tucson    287 Reviews

My wife and I characterize ourselves as a young couple, well educated, with decent positions and we’re Tucson natives. We’ve observed our quality of life from both a  More

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Over 1 years ago

I was reading the reviews for Tucson, and after living there for 6 years, I feel the need to weigh in. There are many pros in Tucson: access to recreational areas,  More

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I spend considerable time in and around Tucson, and I've see it rapidly going "downhill" since 2020. It's definitely not the nice town I remember from when I was a  More

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Reviews for Carlsbad    38 Reviews

I've lived in Carlsbad (92008) for 8 years now and really appreciate all that it has to offer. Yes, ALL of San Diego County is expensive, but Carlsbad has [possibly]  More

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Over 4 years ago

Carlson has the worst winters. It averages about 10 meters of snow per week. Every shop is  More

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Ok, I get it, the climate is mild and tolerable but even that is over-rated when you consider how many cloudy days there are in this town. The sun coming out at 3 and  More

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