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 | Rochester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,218/mo | 2.6% higher in A |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $268,800 | 19.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $83,973 | 31.5% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.9 | 102.9 | 3.9% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 91.5 | 89.4 | 2.3% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 88.3 | 93.0 | 5.1% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 98.8 | 93.8 | 5.3% 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 $99,937 in Rochester to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia and Rochester have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 3% lower in Rochester than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $79,950 in Rochester to keep the same standard of living.