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 | Reading | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $942/mo | 32.7% higher in A |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $96,900 | 122.4% higher in A |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $42,852 | 34.3% higher in A |
| Groceries index | 98.9 | 101.0 | 2.1% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 91.5 | 99.3 | 7.9% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 88.3 | 95.9 | 8.0% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 98.8 | 104.7 | 5.6% 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 Philadelphia, you'd need $75,360 in Reading to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Reading, PA is about 24.6% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 25% lower in Reading than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $60,288 in Reading to keep the same standard of living.