Philadelphia County · Pennsylvania
Philadelphia cost of living (PA)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Philadelphia costs 2.6% above the national average — all-items price level 102.6, rank 34 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $102,554 here. Utilities is the reason, at 114.4.
- All items
- 102.6US average = 100
- Housing
- 113.113.1% above the national average
- Goods
- 96.83.2% below the national average
- Other services
- 103.13.1% above the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 96.8 | -3.2% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 113.1 | +13.1% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 114.4 | +14.4% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 103.1 | +3.1% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
Reading the Philadelphia price level
What the 102.6 figure actually means for a household here.
Philadelphia prices sit 2.6% above the US average — an all-items parity of 102.6, rank 34 of 94 covered metros. Moderately above average. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Utilities drives it: 114.4, 14.4% above average. Goods pull the other way at 96.8. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 17.6 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Philadelphia do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $102,554 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $60,302 median household income in Philadelphia is worth $58,800 in national-average dollars, 25.1% below the $78,538 US median. Local pay does not cover the local price level.
Parities are published for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
What your salary is worth in Philadelphia, PA
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (102.6 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $58,800
- Needed to match US average
- $61,842
- Monthly difference
- $128
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$60,302 median household income in Philadelphia is worth $58,800 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 102.6.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is Philadelphia expensive?
- Yes — 2.6% above the US average, rank 34 of 94 covered metros. utilities is the component furthest from average at 114.4.
- What salary do you need to live in Philadelphia, PA?
- $102,554 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $60,302, worth $58,800 after adjusting for the 102.6 price level.
- Why is the cost of living high in Philadelphia?
- Utilities at 114.4 versus goods at 96.8. A 17.6-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More Philadelphia data
Other Philadelphia datasets on this site.
- Philadelphia population and income
- Philadelphia sales tax rate
- Philadelphia property tax
- Philadelphia home values and rent
- Philadelphia crime rates
- Philadelphia public schools
- Philadelphia weather normals
- Philadelphia commute times
- Philadelphia jobs and wages
Statewide: Pennsylvania cities · Pennsylvania ZIP codes · Pennsylvania sales tax · Pennsylvania counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.