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 | Des Moines | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $995/mo | $1,250/mo | 20.4% lower in A |
| Median home value | $170,700 | $215,500 | 20.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $62,378 | $57,537 | 8.4% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 96.3 | 98.9 | 2.6% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 91.7 | 91.5 | ≈ equal |
| Transportation index | 96.9 | 88.3 | 9.7% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 99.1 | 98.8 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Des Moines, you'd need $125,628 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Des Moines, IA is about 20.4% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% lower in Des Moines than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Des Moines, you'd need about $100,502 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.