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 | Paterson | Philadelphia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,392/mo | $1,250/mo | 11.4% higher in A |
| Median home value | $314,100 | $215,500 | 45.8% higher in A |
| Median household income | $52,092 | $57,537 | 9.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 95.7 | 98.9 | 3.2% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 92.4 | 91.5 | 1.1% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 86.0 | 88.3 | 2.5% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 90.4 | 98.8 | 8.5% 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 Paterson, you'd need $97,022 in Philadelphia to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 3% cheaper overall than Paterson, NJ, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 10% lower in Philadelphia than in Paterson. If you earn $80,000 in Paterson, you'd need about $77,617 in Philadelphia to keep the same standard of living.