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 | New Brunswick | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,754/mo | $1,250/mo | 40.3% higher in A |
| Median home value | $289,800 | $215,500 | 34.5% higher in A |
| Median household income | $57,138 | $57,537 | 0.7% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 100.1 | 97.5 | 2.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 108.4 | 107.5 | 0.8% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 97.3 | 98.6 | 1.3% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 100.0 | 101.8 | 1.8% 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 New Brunswick, you'd need $89,951 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 10% cheaper overall than New Brunswick, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 20% lower in Philadelphia than in New Brunswick. If you earn $80,000 in New Brunswick, you'd need about $71,961 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.