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 | Philadelphia | Rapid City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $975/mo | 28.2% higher in A |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $244,500 | 11.9% lower in A |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $62,784 | 8.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.5 | 95.7 | 1.8% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 107.5 | 82.9 | 29.7% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 93.4 | 5.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 101.8 | 94.0 | 8.2% 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 Philadelphia, you'd need $81,510 in Rapid City to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Rapid City, SD is about 18.5% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 32% lower in Rapid City than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $65,208 in Rapid City to keep the same standard of living.