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Cost of Living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Philadelphia, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.

Population
1,574,281
Median household income
$60,521
Cost of living (US = 100)
102.6
Unemployment rate
5.9%

Is Philadelphia a good place to live?

Philadelphia sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 64 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job.

A typical worker in Philadelphia keeps $5,852 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job

  • Cost of living3% above the US average (BEA, 2024)
  • Rent$1,506 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
  • Taxes$1,667 of state income tax on a typical wage, plus $2,028 of local income tax

Cost of living in Philadelphia

Prices in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD area run 3% above the US average. Utilities is the biggest difference, at 14% above the US average.

  • Housing13% above the US average
  • Goods (food, clothing, cars)3% below the US average
  • Utilities14% above the US average
  • Other services (healthcare and more)3% above the US average
  • All items3% above the US average

Monthly budget for one person

CostMonthlyYearly
Rent, 1-bedroom$1,506$18,072
Food$478$5,736
Transportation$378$4,536
Healthcare$363$4,356
Utilities$298$3,576
Total before taxes$3,023$36,276

Rent by apartment size

Monthly rentPhiladelphiaWhole metro area
Studio$1,390$1,438
1 bedroom$1,506$1,558
2 bedrooms$1,798$1,860
3 bedrooms$2,143$2,216
4 bedrooms$2,364$2,445

Living in Philadelphia

How Philadelphia compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).

MeasurePhiladelphiaUS
Median household income$60,521$81,604
Median home value$253,600$360,600
Median rent paid$1,500$1,487
Households renting48.1%34.7%
Unemployment rate5.9%4.6%
Living below the poverty line19.7%12.2%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher36.4%36.9%
Median age35.7 years39.2 years
Average commute, one way33.2 minutes27.2 minutes
Working from home14.4%13.3%
Commuting by public transit20.1%3.7%

Home internet

4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Philadelphia, led by Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T. Fiber reaches 86.7% of homes and 84% can get gigabit speeds. Compare providers in Philadelphia

Pros and cons of living in Philadelphia

Pros

  • Usable public transit. 20.1% of commuters take public transit, against 3.7% nationally.
  • Affordable homes to buy. The median home is worth $253,600, against $360,600 nationally.

Cons

  • Longer commutes. The average one-way commute is 33.2 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
  • Higher unemployment. Unemployment is 5.9%, against 4.6% nationally (ACS 2024 1-year).
  • Higher poverty rate. 19.7% of residents live below the poverty line, against 12.2% nationally.
  • Local income tax. Residents also pay City of Philadelphia (Wage Tax) income tax: $2,028 on a typical wage.

What your job keeps in Philadelphia

Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.

Typical worker in Philadelphia, PA
Typical salary
$54,310
Federal income tax
−$4,337
Payroll taxes
−$4,155
State income tax
−$1,667
Local income tax
−$2,028
Rent, 1-bedroom
−$18,072
Everyday costs
−$18,199
You keep$5,852

a year, or $488 a month

Pay: BLS OEWS Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.

From $54,310 gross, deductions leave $5,852 a year.
Salary$54,310Federal income tax−$4,337Payroll taxes−$4,155State income tax−$1,667Local income tax−$2,028Rent, 1-bedroom−$18,072Everyday costs−$18,199You keep$5,852

What the most common jobs keep here

The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD area.

JobMedian payYou keep
Lawyer$170,660$80,029
Software engineer$133,040$56,874
Project manager$104,160$38,748
Registered nurse$101,180$36,854
Accountant$85,990$27,201
Teacher$79,295$22,947
Licensed practical nurse$70,710$17,492
Carpenter$61,780$11,345
Truck driver$59,370$9,573
Nursing assistant$46,220−$98

Other jobs, A–Z

What each keeps in Philadelphia on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.

  • Auto mechanic $8,904
  • Civil engineer $35,729
  • Data scientist $42,402
  • Dental assistant $2,366
  • Dental hygienist $36,625
  • Dentist $75,553
  • Diesel mechanic $13,382
  • Electrician $19,957
  • Financial analyst $33,181
  • Firefighter $22,156
  • HVAC technician $13,404
  • Lineman $48,470
  • Mechanical engineer $38,907
  • Medical assistant −$342
  • Nurse practitioner $58,512
  • Occupational therapist $38,100
  • Paralegal $17,313
  • Paramedic $16,176
  • Pharmacist $66,537
  • Pharmacy technician −$1,084
  • Physical therapist $39,783
  • Physician assistant $58,475
  • Plumber $20,129
  • Police officer $29,482
  • Radiologic technologist $23,515
  • Respiratory therapist $28,981
  • Social worker $9,225
  • Speech-language pathologist $36,155
  • Veterinarian $61,042
  • Welder $8,845

Local income tax: Resident rate from 1 July 2026 (3.74% before). The income-based Wage Tax refund is not modelled.

Compare Philadelphia with other cities

Compare Philadelphia with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.

Moving to Philadelphia

26 licensed interstate movers are based in Philadelphia, and 137 more elsewhere in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).

Questions people ask

Is Philadelphia, PA a good place to live?

Philadelphia sits in the middle for take-home money: a typical worker keeps more here than in 64 of 178 other large cities, so whether it pays off depends on your job. The typical worker here earns $54,310 and keeps $5,852 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.

What is the cost of living in Philadelphia?

Prices in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD area are 3% above the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,506 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,517 a month.

How much do you need to earn to live in Philadelphia?

A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $46,400 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD area earns $54,310.

What is the average rent in Philadelphia?

HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,390 for a studio, $1,506 for a 1-bedroom and $1,798 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Philadelphia at $1,500 a month (2024).

Does Philadelphia have a state or city income tax?

Yes. On a typical wage of $54,310, Pennsylvania state income tax comes to about $1,667 a year. Philadelphia residents also pay City of Philadelphia (Wage Tax) income tax, about $2,028 on the same wage.

What internet providers serve Philadelphia?

4 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Philadelphia, led by Xfinity, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T. 86.7% of homes can get fiber and 84% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).

Sources and method

Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.

Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate