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 | Charleston | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $870/mo | $1,250/mo | 30.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $172,800 | $215,500 | 19.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $58,902 | $57,537 | 2.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 97.0 | 97.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 92.6 | 107.5 | 13.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 100.0 | 98.6 | 1.4% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 98.3 | 101.8 | 3.4% 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 Charleston, you'd need $129,331 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Charleston, WV is about 22.7% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 48% lower in Charleston than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Charleston, you'd need about $103,465 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.