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 | Santa Maria | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,768/mo | 29.3% lower in A |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $438,100 | 50.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $81,237 | 29.2% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.9 | 107.3 | 7.8% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 91.5 | 130.3 | 29.8% lower in A |
| Transportation index | 88.3 | 111.2 | 20.6% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 98.8 | 112.8 | 12.4% 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 $129,853 in Santa Maria to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 23% cheaper overall than Santa Maria, CA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 29% lower in Philadelphia than in Santa Maria. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $103,882 in Santa Maria to keep the same standard of living.