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 | Bethlehem | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,218/mo | $1,250/mo | 2.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $220,300 | $215,500 | 2.2% higher in A |
| Median household income | $62,072 | $57,537 | 7.9% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 100.7 | 97.5 | 3.3% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 105.1 | 107.5 | 2.2% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.2 | 98.6 | 1.4% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.8 | 101.8 | 1.9% 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 Bethlehem, you'd need $102,731 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Bethlehem, PA is about 2.7% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in Bethlehem than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Bethlehem, you'd need about $82,184 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.