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 | St. Paul | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,174/mo | 6.5% higher in A |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $264,900 | 18.6% lower in A |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $69,919 | 17.7% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.9 | 102.2 | 3.3% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 91.5 | 88.6 | 3.2% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 88.3 | 91.9 | 4.0% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 98.8 | 92.3 | 7.0% 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 $97,818 in St. Paul to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
St. Paul, MN is about 2.2% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 6% lower in St. Paul than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $78,254 in St. Paul to keep the same standard of living.