Can't help you with the current cost of living in Scottsdale, since I haven't lived in the area since I was a kid. Back then (1980's) Scottsdale was the tonier part of town, where we thought the "rich people" lived. I'd love to relocate out there now. I'm in the process of trying to get my CA teaching license paperwork through the AZ dept of education so I can apply for jobs in the area. I'm not sure where you're relocating from, but the area certainly seems to be very affordable in terms of COL. I know people who have moved out there from Southern California and are quite pleased by how much house they were able to move into in comparison to SoCal.