City comparison
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Ann Arbor | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,472/mo | $1,250/mo | 17.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $416,500 | $215,500 | 93.3% higher in A |
| Median household income | $78,546 | $57,537 | 36.5% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 97.5 | 3.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 96.3 | 107.5 | 10.5% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 98.8 | 98.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.4 | 101.8 | 2.3% lower in A |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ann Arbor, you'd need $96,193 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 3.8% cheaper overall than Ann Arbor, MI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 11% lower in Philadelphia than in Ann Arbor. If you earn $80,000 in Ann Arbor, you'd need about $76,954 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.