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 | Lawrence | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,502/mo | $1,250/mo | 20.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $370,600 | $215,500 | 72.0% higher in A |
| Median household income | $53,977 | $57,537 | 6.2% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 96.8 | 98.9 | 2.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 93.9 | 91.5 | 2.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 88.1 | 88.3 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 93.3 | 98.8 | 5.6% 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 Lawrence, you'd need $92,576 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 7.4% cheaper overall than Lawrence, MA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 17% lower in Philadelphia than in Lawrence. If you earn $80,000 in Lawrence, you'd need about $74,061 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.