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 | San Francisco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $2,316/mo | 46.0% lower in A |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $1,348,700 | 84.0% lower in A |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $136,689 | 57.9% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.9 | 58.2 | 69.9% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 91.5 | 62.4 | 46.6% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 88.3 | 59.8 | 47.6% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 98.8 | 38.9 | 153.9% 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 $185,281 in San Francisco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 46% cheaper overall than San Francisco, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 46% lower in Philadelphia than in San Francisco. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $148,225 in San Francisco to keep the same standard of living.