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 | Carlsbad | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,477/mo | $1,250/mo | 98.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $1,070,500 | $215,500 | 396.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $134,139 | $57,537 | 133.1% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 104.1 | 98.9 | 5.2% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 125.1 | 91.5 | 36.8% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 104.6 | 88.3 | 18.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 104.1 | 98.8 | 5.4% higher 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 Carlsbad, you'd need $50,463 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 49.5% cheaper overall than Carlsbad, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 50% lower in Philadelphia than in Carlsbad. If you earn $80,000 in Carlsbad, you'd need about $40,371 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.