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 | Columbia | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,105/mo | $1,250/mo | 11.6% lower in A |
| Median home value | $226,200 | $215,500 | 5.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $54,095 | $57,537 | 6.0% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 99.0 | 98.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 95.8 | 91.5 | 4.8% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 82.8 | 88.3 | 6.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 96.3 | 98.8 | 2.5% 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 Columbia, you'd need $106,553 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Columbia, SC is about 6.2% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 12% lower in Columbia than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Columbia, you'd need about $85,243 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.