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 | Washington | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,250/mo | $1,817/mo | 31.2% lower in A |
| Median home value | $215,500 | $705,000 | 69.4% lower in A |
| Median household income | $57,537 | $101,722 | 43.4% lower in A |
| Groceries index | 98.9 | 101.9 | 3.0% lower in A |
| Utilities index | 91.5 | 87.6 | 4.4% higher in A |
| Transportation index | 88.3 | 90.0 | 1.8% lower in A |
| Healthcare index | 98.8 | 92.8 | 6.5% 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 $119,651 in Washington to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Philadelphia, PA is about 16.4% cheaper overall than Washington, DC, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 31% lower in Philadelphia than in Washington. If you earn $80,000 in Philadelphia, you'd need about $95,721 in Washington to keep the same standard of living.