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 | Urbandale | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,108/mo | 12.8% higher in A |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $298,500 | 27.8% lower in A |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $111,888 | 48.6% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 97.5 | 94.5 | 3.1% higher in A |
| Utilities index | 107.5 | 86.7 | 24.0% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 98.6 | 94.1 | 4.8% higher in A |
| Healthcare index | 101.8 | 94.8 | 7.4% 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 $86,624 in Urbandale to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Urbandale, IA is about 13.4% cheaper overall than Philadelphia, PA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 21% lower in Urbandale than in Philadelphia. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $69,299 in Urbandale to keep the same standard of living.