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 | Mesa | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,352/mo | $1,250/mo | 8.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $327,700 | $215,500 | 52.1% higher in A |
| Median household income | $73,766 | $57,537 | 28.2% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 103.4 | 98.9 | 4.6% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 124.0 | 91.5 | 35.5% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 103.1 | 88.3 | 16.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 102.0 | 98.8 | 3.2% higher 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 Mesa, you'd need $90,009 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 10% cheaper overall than Mesa, AZ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 8% lower in Philadelphia than in Mesa. If you earn $80,000 in Mesa, you'd need about $72,008 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.