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 | Lancaster | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,084/mo | $1,250/mo | 13.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $179,500 | $215,500 | 16.7% lower in A |
| Median household income | $61,014 | $57,537 | 6.0% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 100.8 | 97.5 | 3.4% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 104.9 | 107.5 | 2.4% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 97.2 | 98.6 | 1.5% 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 Lancaster, you'd need $107,875 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Lancaster, PA is about 7.3% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 16% lower in Lancaster than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Lancaster, you'd need about $86,300 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.