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 | Madison | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,291/mo | $1,250/mo | 3.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $326,600 | $215,500 | 51.6% higher in A |
| Median household income | $74,895 | $57,537 | 30.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 103.9 | 98.9 | 5.1% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 90.5 | 91.5 | 1.0% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 94.9 | 88.3 | 7.5% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 96.3 | 98.8 | 2.6% 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 Madison, you'd need $96,669 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 3.3% cheaper overall than Madison, WI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 3% lower in Philadelphia than in Madison. If you earn $80,000 in Madison, you'd need about $77,335 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.